#Chapter 67 – All Business

Victor straightens his tie and clears his throat. God damnit, he thinks, pay attention, Victor. For the life of him, he can’t seem to keep his mind on the subject at hand.

For some reason –

Well, God damnit, I know the reason, he thinks, gritting his teeth –

He just can’t seem to focus on the conversation at hand, his ears instead filled with the sound of rustling grasses.

“Victor,” Annabeth Prath says, leaning forward to look him in the eye. “Are you all right? Do you need a minute?”

“No, thank you,” Victor says, clearing his throat again. “I apologize. I’ve got…a lot on my plate.”

“You surely do,” says James Willard, leaning back in his chair and surveying Victor with a smirk. “You sure you can handle it all, m’boy?”

Victor narrows his eyes at Willard for that one, putting his hands on his desk and leaning his weight onto them. “Thank you both for coming today, as my guests,” he says, emphasizing the term as he stares at Willard, reminding him of his place. “I’m looking forward to discussing with both of you the next steps regarding the Prath school.”

“For me,” Annabeth says, her eyes flitting between the two men, sensing the odd tension between them, “the priority needs to be strictly on the education that the children receive.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Victor says, nodding at her and standing up straight. “We need to create a school that can stand up against the best human schools for educational quality, to give our children a strong start in the world.”

“This is where we disagree, then,” Willard says, contrary. “I believe that the emphasis should be on inculcating identity, culture.”

Annabeth frowns at him. “What do you mean?”

says, waving an explanatory hand, “that the great advantage to having children of wolf heritage together in one school is that we

to indoctrination,” Victor says, his

not denying it. “It’s an opportunity to shape the future by

of their quality of education? At the creation of critical

have a rather stunning intellectual

purportedly full of great potential. They could do wonderful things for our people,

have indeed been all over the news, but what has not

page in thinking that the greatest service we can give to them, and thus to our culture, is

tracks. “How are you already aware of my

at him,

fingers pricking as his claws immediately respond to Annabeth’s words. From the

said to you,” Victor growls,

says, leaning forward with concern. “It’s what he’s saying to everyone. I don’t want you to think that Walsh and I are having secret meetings about your children. It’s the only conversation he wants to have with

no such denial of personal conversation with Walsh. Instead, Willard’s smile grows, taking pleasure in watching Victor

begin to emerge from

Willard says, standing and buttoning his suitcoat, “that you need a minute

to walk towards Victor’s office door. “I’ll be in touch in a few days, Victor. In the meantime, I suggest you begin to pay better attention to the political field, to the cultural conversation.” He glances back as he strolls out the door. “Especially considering that you and your…family…are frequently at the center

head. He’s always tried to portray himself as just the humble leader of a small, progressive pack, but that’s such bullshit. He’s always wanted

his breathing, willing his claws to retract. “I concur. It was,

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