The morning Desi was set to leave for Moonrise Academy, she found herself wandering through the old rose garden (the same one her grandmother had planted over fifty years ago) surrounded by those soft pink and white blooms. The Georgia heat made the air thick, carrying the sweet scents of magnolia and honeysuckle, pulling her back to those childhood summers when she first learned about justice and leadership from two of the most respected diplomats in the supernatural world: her parents.
Her folks found her there as the sun climbed high, both dressed in their formal best, signaling this was one of those serious family talks.
"Second thoughts?" David asked, sliding onto the stone bench next to her.
"Third, probably fourth," Desi admitted with a shaky laugh. "What if I get so caught up in politics and strategy that I lose that fierce fire I have for real change? What if I become the kind of leader who plays the game but forgets why I wanted to change the game in the first place?"
"Well, then you'll have learned a lesson about how power can twist people," Patricia said, sitting across from them. "But I don't think you're headed that way."
"How can you say that?"
David gave her a warm look. "Because you're sitting here, worrying in a rose garden instead of packing your bags with excitement about the people you'll meet and the influence you'll have. Your moral compass is too steady to let politics steer you off course."
"But it might crush me," Desi said, the memory still raw. "Yesterday's talk with Alpha Blackthorne... the way she just shrugged off Tommy's pain because fixing it would mess with Alpha families... How do I work inside a system that treats injustice like an acceptable side effect?"
"By learning to change it from within," Patricia said simply. "By mastering the political game so well that you get to flip the rules yourself."
"That sounds impossible."
David pulled out his phone and flipped to an old photo. "This was me back in college. See this scruffy guy? That's me with my study group. We called ourselves the Justice Coalition. We were young, idealistic, sure we'd shake things up."
"What happened?"
"Marcus became a federal judge. Sarah runs the biggest supernatural rights group in North America. Tom heads the Pacific Northwest Pack Council. And your mother..." He smiled at Patricia like telling a secret. "Well, you know how much she's accomplished."
"You did change things."
"We learned to do it smart. Building coalitions, pushing policy, creating institutions that force change," Patricia's voice held the weight of years spent bargaining. "It took time. Patience. Celebrating small wins even while aiming for big ones."
"And compromise," Desi added quietly. "Working with people I totally disagree with."
"Sometimes," David said. "But compromising doesn't mean dropping your values. It means finding ways to push them that others can live with." He got serious. "At Moonrise, you'll meet wolves from families who've held injustice in place for generations. You'll want to call them out, force them to face their privilege."
"That's what they need."
"That's what you believe they need," Patricia said gently. "The truth is, they need to save face while they change. They need paths to support reform without admitting they were wrong all along."
"That sounds like letting them off easy."
"It's understanding how people really change," Patricia corrected. "Shaming someone isn't a switch to flip beliefs. Change happens when people get new ideas and better options."
"So, I should let them stay comfy instead of pushing them to confront their prejudices?"
"You push, but in ways that work long-term instead of making them shut down," David said patiently. "You become more effective without losing your passion."
A car honked from the driveway, signaling her ride to the airport. Desi's bags were packed, documents ordered just right, transcripts and recommendations ready to go.
Everything set, except for her own certainty about who she wanted to become.
"What if I fail?" she asked softly. "What if I can't find the balance between strategy and conscience? What if I get too diplomatic to stand up for what's right, or too fiery to get anything done?"
"Then you'll be like every other leader who ever tried to make a difference," Patricia smiled. "Unsure, imperfect, learning along the way."
"What counts is that you keep going," David said. "Don't let political setbacks snuff out your fire for justice. Don't let small losses stop you from winning the big fights."
As they headed inside, Desi thought about everything they'd said. Summer Gathering had shown her good intentions weren't nearly enough. Real change meant understanding the system, building relationships, and thinking beyond the heat of the moment.
Moonrise would be where she learned all that: meeting wolves from across the supernatural world, hearing different views, juggling competing interests, and growing the political savvy she'd need to use her passion wisely.
She'd learn how to lead with heart and head both working. How to build solutions that tackle the real issues, not just the surface messes. How to unite enough people to rewrite the rules, not just push against them.
Most importantly, she'd learn to play the long game without forgetting wolves like Tommy Chen: pack members who deserved protection and dignity no matter what their label or lineage.
"Ready, baby girl?" Patricia asked softly as they reached the front door.
"Ready to learn how to be ready," Desi said.
That would have to do.
As the car pulled away from the estate and the path ahead stretched uncertain, Desi made a promise: she'd be the kind of leader who could make lasting change without losing her soul. She'd stay passionate without becoming cynical, diplomatic without going silent, effective without selling out.
And deep down, she wondered what kind of wolves she'd meet at Moonrise. Wolves who believed the supernatural world could be better, fairer, more just for every pack member, no matter rank or family name.
She hoped there'd be at least one who understood true strength comes from protecting the weak, not exploiting them. Someone who valued wisdom and kindness as much as power.
A wolf who could help her change the world.