Bear the Burn(45)
“Babe, you don’t have to do this,” Dade whispered, worry pooling in his sea green eyes.
“I do,” she said, gulping down a sob and glaring at the audience. She clenched her trembling hands at her sides and lifted her voice. “I can’t just sit here and watch you all pick apart a group of people who are more amazing than you can imagine. You have mentioned putting tracking bracelets on them, on their cubs, but here is what you haven’t considered. That’s already been done. Dade, please stand up.”
With an uncertain glance at the crowd, he did.
“This is my mate.” Dammit she was already getting choked up just thinking about doing this. “I met him before the fire, and he tried to stay away from me because of this.” She tugged his top button loose and pointed to the horrific chemical burn that spread across his throat. Several audience members gasped and murmured, but she pressed on. “He wanted to keep me safe from what IESA was doing to them under the radar of the public’s attention. This burn was caused by a tracker that IESA had placed in his neck, as well as every bear shifter here, including those two little babies over there, Tate and Arie. They wanted to put one in Aaron, too, and that’s when Cody made the decision to make a stand. If it were you or your children, would you submit to having trackers surgically implanted in your necks? To be controlled by the threat of a kill switch? IESA detonated my mate’s tracker, and acid did this. His father was killed the same way, though it was made to look like an accident to the public. Countless other shifters have been killed using these techniques and others like them, and the worst part? These people aren’t dangerous to you. I don’t want to hear anything more about trackers. Cody’s hand was ruined trying to dig that damned thing out of Dade’s neck before IESA pushed that kill switch on him. You ask if they’ve killed people, but you were the ones who threw them a parade when they came home from war, both times. My mate bears the deep scars of fighting for his country and serving his community, and he’s never once complained. He’s a good man.”
“He isn’t a man!” Baldy yelled.
“He is a man! And I’m a woman, and these three precious angels are children. I am new to the Breck Crew, but I can tell you my experience with them as a human and as a shifter. They’re kind and close-knit. They love each other and have a strong moral compass. They worry about their children’s future above their own safety.” The first tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at the people she adored. Rory was crying, and she gripped her hand and held it tight. “I can tell you they are good, honest people who have been through so much just trying to survive, and they are still fighting to remain servants to their community and to people in need, if you’ll let them. IESA wasn’t going to stop pressing on them until they were all dead. This is a group of people striving to be treated with dignity, trusting humans who call us monsters, and begging for the help of the public. We aren’t here to take over the world, nor can I even imagine them Turning anyone they hadn’t chosen as a mate. It’s against the rules of their culture.” She looked up at Dade beside her. “Of our culture. And I’m scared,” she admitted, swinging her beseeching gaze to the quiet room. “I’ve only just learned bear shifters existed like you have. I understand your fear, but I’m standing in front of you, telling you that these people are incredible. I haven’t really had a family before, and now I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be with people who genuinely care about me. Which is crazy because I have a freaking bear inside of me. I’m scared to death of my first conscious Change, and I’m scared I won’t be any good at this. And I’m definitely scared of public speaking and the insane amount of attention this has garnered. And those cameras over there are super-duper terrifying.”
A few soft chuckles sounded from the crowd, and she laughed thickly and wiped her damp lashes with her knuckles.
“But mostly, I’m scared of something bad happening to my family. They are the reason I’m here, still breathing, still living. I fell in love with this incredible man, but the scars on his body say there will always be a chance something bad will happen to him if we can’t find a way to fit into society without being exploited. These people, these bear shifters, are just like you in so many ways. They laugh and tell dirty jokes. They’re loyal and have water gun fights and barbecues. They go to their jobs and take pride in their work. They love their families without abandon. Without a single question of distrust, they accepted me into their crew and are helping me through this transition with such tender attention and affection. And I know this won’t change some of your minds. You’ll hang onto your hate because you think this world is only big enough for humans. I’m sorry for it, but it isn’t in my power to change every mind. I just hope that some of you will consider that we aren’t the monsters you thought we were. We’re just men and women and children who have to turn into a bear for a few hours every couple of weeks. We’re just people who are tired of hiding.”