Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Landon--
One thing that Cora always seems surprised by is the amount of meetings required to keep a pack running. It’s like any other community, I think, but something about us being wolf shifters makes her think that we should all operate on instinct instead of worrying about silly things like power bills or getting the sheets from the washing machine to the dryer before they smell gross. It takes a lot of logistics to keep our pack running, and that has nothing on how much communication and math and fucking boring-ass meetings it takes to keep all four of the NYC packs running together without anyone stepping on anyone else’s tails. It’s like living in a corporate horror movie.
This meeting could’ve been a group text. You’re lucky you don’t have to be here, kitten, I think into the ether of our mate bond. She doesn’t answer, of course. Cora was already offended that she wasn’t picked as our liaison immediately– why do all that work on cyber stalking if she wouldn’t get to see the investigation through, after all? – but the news that she wasn’t even invited to the meeting to decide who will go was salt in the wound. Especially after she heard that Emory is here as Luna.
Cora seems to currently be meditating, trying to shut me out. Her reasoning before I left was that she wasn’t invited to the meeting and therefore shouldn’t be “spying” on it, but I know it’s more about feeling defensive than anything. She’s hurt, and I hate that. I wish I had the power to affect these decisions more, but the Betas really only have power in our own home packs. Most of the time we’re sitting in on these meetings as glorified secretaries. In this alliance, anyway. It might be different for other packs. That’s a strange thought to have. There could be whole other cultures in these other packs that would make no sense to us here. Maybe first contact is the right phrase to describe it after all.
I’m reminded of the conversation Cora and I had about mermaids and aliens and other kinds of shifters. Who knows what other kinds of people she could dig up if we gave her the chance? Her several hours of investigation make me wonder how we haven’t already been found out by the government long before now. It’s not like we gave her a super computer or let her hack into cameras in anyone’s home and she found them in less than a work week. She just put the puzzle together from what she knew of us and found a pattern. Maybe it’s because the government didn’t have an example to compare to so they’re starting at zero? I don’t know. I don’t have any more time to think about it because James clears his throat and stares at me like I’m the last person to lock in. Looking around, I guess I am. Oops.
“I’m good. Let’s start.” Blaze– sorry, Brick Wall– rolls his eyes and mutters about “fucking mate telepathy” but everyone else ignores him as James starts the meeting.
“We all know what we’re here for. My team has determined that the communities Cora Ilyin has highlighted have a high probability of being other shifter packs. The decisions we need to make now revolve around what we would like to do with that information. Does anyone have opening remarks they would like to speak before we get into it?” He has a few sheets of paper in front of him, but he doesn’t look at his notes to speak. I’ve never known what he even brings them in for– these meetings aren’t that formal, and he doesn’t read or write on them. Ever.
Ollie reaches for one of the stereotypical pastries in the middle of the table and puts in his two cents. “Yeah, I don’t see why this had to be a whole meeting. I say we leave everyone else alone. If they wanted to talk to us, they would. No way are they as oblivious to us as we were to them. There’s gotta be a reason they haven’t reached out. We should respect that.”
There’s a few seconds of quiet as everyone else absorbs that. James is the one to reply, even though he tends to sit and observe these meetings most of the time. “They will have information on the mate bond that we don’t. If not more, then at least different information. Even if all they have are slightly different legends than we do, we’ll be able to find new truth within them. With both Logan and Landon finding mates in succession, we have to assume time is short for the rest of us as well. We need to act now and quickly.”
Eyebrows shoot up all around the table as everyone realizes at the same time that James is… afraid of finding his mate. I dare to speak up, because this isn’t right. “James, buddy, the mate bond isn’t a problem or a disease. There’s some chaos to get through in the beginning, but after that is the rest of your lives together and it’s worth all the rest. It’s much more of a gift than a sentence.”
Logan and Emory nod along with me in full agreement, but they’re the only ones. James’ face does that blank thing where he’s feeling some kind of way that he doesn’t want everyone else knowing about. “Not all of us are willing to drag a human into secrecy with us. We haven’t finished cleaning up the mess that started with Logan and Emory’s bond a year ago. The mess your mate created, Landon.”
Ouch.
Deek laughs awkwardly and breaks in. “There has to be a middle ground here. I’m not ready for a mate, but I think we all have a little time before we have to become shut-ins. Let’s see if we can get in touch with these other packs without freaking everyone out, yeah?” The silence falls back after his words like he never spoke.
Logan’s jaw is clenched, a muscle in his cheek is twitching. I’m sure my face looks similar. He grabs Emory’s hand and helps her out of her chair. “Do whatever you think is best, James. You always do.” We leave the meeting. Everyone else can figure out logistics with that asshole.