Free Graduating (Covenant College Book 5) by Amanda M. Lee

“There was just something … odd … about him. I think Will being his intern was also a clue.”
    Aric ran his hand over the back of his neck, shifting his attention to the tent again before focusing back on us. “Yeah, that’s weird.”
    “How do you think it happened?”
    “Well, Reagan isn’t just running for governor,” Aric said. “He’s also running for a leadership position on the council.”
    “What council?” Kelsey was confused.
    “The wolf council,” I said. “They’ve got a separate form of government.”
    “There’s a wolf council?” Kelsey looked intrigued. “Does everyone shift and howl at the moon?”
    Aric ran his tongue over his teeth, irritation bubbling up. “Are you trying to be cute?”
    “I don’t know,” Kelsey said. “Is it working?”
    “No.”
    I reached over, putting my hand on Aric’s arm to calm him. “What has you so worked up?”
    “Reagan has been smearing my father every chance he gets,” Aric said. “He’s doing it on the state level, and in more private circles, too.”
    “Why?”
    “Because my father is the one standing in his way on the council,” Aric replied. “And, since he caucuses with the Democrats, he’s given them the majority in the state senate. From where Reagan is standing, my dad is an obstacle.”
    “Why is your father so opposed to him being on the council?” I asked.
    “Well, he’s got this whole ‘new direction’ thing he’s proposing,” Aric said. “He wants to make sure all of the wolf lines are pure, so he wants to institute plural marriage.”
    Eww, gross. “Like he wants you guys to be Mormons?”
    Aric barked out a laugh, running his hand over the back of my head. “Essentially, yes. He wants male wolves to have multiple wives, and he only wants them to take wolf wives.”
    “That is sick,” Kelsey said, glaring at Reagan with overt distaste. “And to think, I thought he was the family-values candidate.”
    I narrowed my eyes as I regarded Aric. “You don’t want multiple … women, do you?”
    “Trust me, honey, you’re more than I can handle,” he said. “In fact, there are times I think half of you is enough to kill me. Reagan’s ideas are antiquated, and there is only a small faction of our group who believes as he does.”
    “So, why is he running on that platform?”
    “He’s playing to a really small base,” Aric replied. “No one knows what his ultimate goals are.”
    “Why did you play nice with him in public if he’s talking bad about your dad?” I pressed.
    “That’s just what you do in politics,” Aric said. “I think my dad is going to be interested in hearing that he was here – and that he was trying to recruit voters.”
    “I think it’s more interesting that Will is an intern for him,” I said. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
    “I wonder if Brittany knows that Will is backing the candidate who wants multiple wives,” Kelsey mused.
    Hmm. Now that she brought it up, I couldn’t wait to hit Brittany with that next time I saw her. Aric must have read my mind, because he was almost immediately shaking his head. “You can’t talk to her about wolf politics.”
    “I know.”
    “I mean it.”
    “I know.”
    Aric sighed, pulling me in for a quick hug. “I about had a heart attack when I saw you standing there with him. I don’t trust him.”
    “How did you even find us?” I asked, tilting my head up so I could see his face.
    “I went to the house,” Aric said. “Paris told me.”
    “I should have listened to her when she suggested staying home and playing euchre,” I said. “It would have been a better afternoon.”
    “I don’t know,” Kelsey said. “You did get the whole security detail worked up when you told them the Democrats were planning a jihad.”
    Aric cocked an eyebrow, glancing down at me. “You didn’t?”
    I shrugged. “I was bored.”
    Aric rubbed his hand over my back, glancing between Kelsey and me. “How about we go back to the house and