Let me just quickly preface this story. I actually wanted to write this story and post it yesterday, but I didn’t want to influence the US readers too much. It is not my place to tell you how to vote/who to vote for. But, post-election, I feel comfortable posting this little tidbit as per request. I changed the one name, but I mean we all know who this is.
“How did you get her to register?” Adam asked me with a raised eyebrow as we watched Jesse pouring over several articles about the hopeful candidates for congress, town council, and presidency.
“I didn’t have to do much other than bring her to register.” I said honestly, “She’s a part of an age group that is very emotionally invested in the election. This is the first election she can vote in.”
“I think we can give her twenty more minutes and I’ll take her with me to vote before work.” I turned around.
“Who are you voting for?” He followed me up the stairs to get changed. I laughed out loud.
“You know I keep my vote very private.” I reminded him. “That’s the point of a vote.”
“Well, you don’t keep your opinions very quiet.” His fingers tickled my sides and I swatted his hands away as I made my way to the dresser. I heard him lay on the bed behind me. “Lay with me. I want to talk this out.”
“We aren’t fighting, Adam.” I rolled my eyes in amusement. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“I need to talk about it.” His voice was pleading. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Can you even vote?” I asked honestly. His eyes met mine and a smile threatened to appear on his face. I could tell he was trying not to laugh. “Seriously, Adam, can you? I don’t know how werewolves work. Have you completed your suffrage?”
“I can vote.” He assured. “I’m just very much stuck.”
“Ok.” I sat at the edge of the bed. “What’s going on?”
“You know I’m…” He paused and seemed to search for a word. There was a crease in the center of his forehead. “…opinionated.”
“You’re old-fashioned.” I teased. He took my hand and played with it.
“Yes. But, I can’t support him.” He began. “I can’t possibly support a candidate who is so…wrong.”
He was talking about the republican nominee. Adam was opinionated, he was right, and he tended to be a little financially conservative. He was certainly pro-life, but that was probably more immediately linked to the walk of life he’d found himself in. The candidate we were facing from the right claimed he was pro-life, but he had also called out McKnaven (a man who had run for office several years before) saying the man was not a war hero. McKnaven was a leader who had fearlessly supported his men in times of struggle to the degree that he suffered capture and torture, refusing the offers of release due to his father being a man high enough in the pecking order to get his son back. From that experience, the man suffered physical ailments that continued until modern-day.
“I have a daughter.” He said.
“You’re very forward thinking.” I squeezed his hand and smiled. “You’re old fashioned because you're chivalrous. You aren’t a bad person and you aren’t a monster. You want safety for your pack. You have Mary Jo, she’s a firefighter. That’s a male-dominated field. Aurielle and Daryl are minorities. Your mate is a minority. Your daughter is a wealthy, white, educated young woman and she is still a minority.” He nodded. “You’re an alpha. You need to protect yours.”
“You’re right.” He sighed, pulling his hands back and putting his face in them. If he ran his hands through his hair, there was no way he would be leaving the bedroom.
Jesse must have worried for what would unfold in front of her because I heard her clear her throat at the open door, hand raised to knock on the frame.
“Mercy, I think I know who I’m voting for.” The normally confident firecracker with bright orange hair looked ready to bite her nails off. She took a breath. “Let’s go now?”
I smiled and got up with a nod.
“This whole electoral college thing makes this very complicated.” She walked down the stairs next to me.
