Chapter 102: Implications

Tension built quite alright in the Director’s office. Nacht had settled into his chair with a permanent scowl on his face, while Selene sat with perfect composure, with her legs crossed, hands folded in her lap, looking utterly unbothered by the chaos that had nearly erupted moments before.

Kent stood at his usual position beside the Director’s desk, though he’d positioned himself slightly farther back than normal, a precaution his body had taken involuntarily given the situation that had nearly exploded into full-blown warfare.

A good part of him was genuinely afraid that Nacht might just flare up again right here in the office.

“Explain to me, Garene, how you can justify allowing that man back into Michigan after everything that happened with Grinning Dead,” Nacht said, his voice carrying a tint of fury. “Did you forget that quickly? The crimes? The body count of civilians who died that day?”

Grey leaned back in his chair and brought his fingers together before him in a contemplative gesture. “Mr. Edmund Thawne, son of billionaire Larry Thawne, intends to start a faction here in Michigan, and Dorian is supposedly just a member of this intended organization.”

“And you believe that changes anything?” Selene interjected smoothly. “Dorian Graves doesn’t take orders from anyone, Garene. You know this better than most.”

“Which is exactly why I’m being cautious,” Grey replied defensively. “The application is under review, and I haven’t made any final decisions yet. Today’s meeting was merely preliminary.”

Nacht’s anger flared visibly. “There shouldn’t be any review process! The answer should be a simple no, followed by escorting Dorian out of the state immediately.”

“It’s not that simple,” Grey said with a weary sigh that seemed to carry the weight of impossible decisions. “My duty, first and foremost, is to the lives of our people. A faction run by Thawne could benefit the entire region, especially with the resources he can bring to bear. One more active faction could mean ten more lives saved on any given day.”

There was a heavy pause before Grey added, “In these times, we can’t afford to dismiss potential allies without proper consideration.”

“Allies, Garene?” Nacht’s voice rose to a dangerous level. “You want to consider a faction with Dorian Graves in it as allies?”

“There’s something else,” Selene said. “During that brief confrontation outside, I sensed something unusual about him. Dorian felt… different than before.”

Grey’s eyebrows rose slightly with interest. “Different how?” Though this question was mostly for confirmation—everyone in that room knew about Selene’s acute level of energy sensing and trusted her perceptions absolutely.

“It’s difficult to explain,” Selene admitted. “But I know what I felt, and consider this, he was confident enough to believe he could take both the President and me simultaneously. The Dorian we knew before was strong, certainly, but even that level of arrogance wasn’t possible for him back then.”

Everyone fell silent for several long seconds as they processed the implications of what Selene had just revealed.

Finally, Grey spoke up. “I have no more words to offer except that we’ll consider everything carefully, but in the meantime, President Nacht, I’m going to ask you to please stand down and allow USOV to handle this situation first.”

Nacht leaned back in his chair, shook his head with visible disappointment, then sighed heavily. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Garene. I really hope you do.”

Grey could only nod solemnly as Nacht stood to take his leave, with Selene following closely behind him, with her expression thoughtful and troubled.

After the White Hunters had left the office, Kent spoke up with obvious concern. “I have one more worry, Director…”

“Let me guess—Liam, right?” Grey asked, already knowing exactly where this conversation was heading.

“Yes, Director. He’s now strong enough to step into their midst and stop them from fighting. What happens if he finds out we were involved with his sister’s disappearance? How powerful do you think he’ll be by the time he discovers the truth?”

“I can’t deny that I think about this constantly,” Grey admitted, his voice growing heavy with dread. “What he could do to us then, which is why he absolutely must not…”

He paused, letting silence fill the room for a moment before adding with finality, “Because if he does find out, I don’t think there’ll be anyone strong enough to save us from his wrath.”

A grim look settled across Grey’s face as the full weight of this realization hit him.

“God help us all,” Kent said quietly, with his words barely above a whisper.

…

And right there is how it all happened,” Liam concluded, finishing his explanation of the confrontation between Nacht, Selene, and Dorian Graves, at least the parts he’d witnessed firsthand.

He was recounting the events to the members of Team C who had pressed him for detail. The Team alongside Brian were within the training room.

“Damn,” Amir began, shaking his head in disbelief. “If the President of the White Hunters came here with his number two, then this situation must be far more serious than Dorian just casually visiting Michigan.”

“Are you actually suggesting that Dorian might be back here on some kind of holiday?” Sarah expressed her displeasure with obvious sarcasm. Then she added, “Hell no—the Director would never allow that, not after everything that happened.”

Silas maintained a grim expression, while Brian offered no words at all, seemingly unable to care less about the drama between humans.

“Are you guys not forgetting one important thing?” Elaine said, a confident smile spreading across her face that immediately caught everyone’s attention.

They all turned toward her, wondering what could possibly make her smile in the face of such a potentially dangerous situation, then Elaine delivered her point: “We didn’t have Liam the last time Dorian caused trouble.”

Liam’s expression brightened considerably after hearing that vote of confidence, a pleased look replacing the concern about Dorian’s strength.

“Good point,” Sarah said, nodding approvingly with her own smile forming as she considered the truth of Elaine’s observation. The mood in the training area shifted subtly, the team’s confidence bolstered by the reminder of their friend’s capabilities.

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