“Do you think any of them will be a danger to my pack?”
Reeve started to answer, “I have…”
But Jackson held up his hand. “I want to hear what my cousin thinks.”
“I honestly don’t know,” Tristan said. “I’m still going through the pack member’s files, and I haven’t held a pack meeting either. But I’ll promise you this…anyone who feels the need for revenge is not welcome in my pack, nor will I tolerate hatred of any kind.
“Look, I have a lot of rebuilding to do in my pack, so I don’t have time for anyone who doesn’t want to help me do it. According to Reeve, anyone involved in the massacre has been either killed or arrested so, for now, there isn’t any reason for you to worry.”
“I’m the Alpha, worry comes with the job,” Jackson replied.
“As I’m learning,” Tristan said, smiling.
“It takes a special skill set to be an Alpha,” Jackson said. “Lessons begin early in childhood and continue even as an adult. Khan and I both were subjected to those lessons, but according to Reeve, you weren’t.”
“The High Council…” Reeve began.
Holding up his hand again to stop Reeve, Jackson said, “Please, let my cousin answer.”
“You’re right. My father denied me those lessons when he kicked my mother out and refused to acknowledge my birthright,” Tristan replied. “Fortunately, my mother taught me love instead of hate, generosity instead of selfishness, respect instead of disregard for a person’s rights…lessons my father never would’ve taught me. But these particular lessons are vitally important for anyone who becomes the Alpha of a pack.”
“I agree, but there is more than just that,” Jackson replied.
“But those are the most important,” Tristan insisted. “A pack is made up of members with different wants, wishes, dreams, and needs. An Alpha not only has to unite the pack, but he also has to treat each member as an individual. From what I’ve seen so far, my father didn’t do that, so I view it as a good thing my mother was my teacher and not him.
“Regarding the rest, I have a Master’s degree in business management with an emphasis on leadership, change, and social responsibility. To put it simply, I specialized in management, ethical business practices, economics, and accounting. All the skills needed to run a pack which, as you know, is very much like a small business.”
It was obvious his cousin had given a great deal of thought to their meeting and, while Jackson was impressed by Tristan, he knew there were other factors of importance to running a pack. “Then you certainly will agree capitalization plays a very important role in the success or failure of any business…but even more so with Silver Point. According to Reeve, Josiah stripped his pack of every asset, leaving the members starving and barely surviving. In addition, again, due to Josiah’s actions, your pack owes reparations to my pack which you, as Alpha, won’t be able to disburse. So not only is your pack undercapitalized, it also has a debt that exceeds the worth of its assets. In my book, no business can survive both of those situations. But Silver Point is not a business…it’s a pack. How long do you think your members will follow you when they can’t see a better future?”
“I can’t answer some of your questions because I don’t have all the facts. For instance, I don’t know what my pack owes you for reparations. I believe Reeve has asked you several times, but has yet to receive an answer. So your assumption that Silver Point owes a debt that exceeds its assets isn’t correct since you know neither my pack’s assets nor, it appears, the amount of debt I owe you.”
Fuck! Reeve was finding it harder and harder not to smile. He knew Tristan had a set of balls on him when he barged into his office and challenged him, but now he realized just how big his balls were. Holding his own against Jackson was no small feat, but Tristan was doing it and in some instances, pushing back. Something he was pretty sure no one had dared to do to Jackson before today.
“Touché…well played,” Jackson said, grinning. “So, let’s talk about reparations. First, you should know I’m not interested in bankrupting your pack, nor does my pack need money. However, that doesn’t mean I can simply ignore what Josiah did to my family. Since no amount of money will bring back my siblings, I have to find a way forward that will not only satisfy my family, but also allow your pack to recover after Josiah’s treachery. And I want you to know that I regard your pack members as victims in this mess and I will not inflict more pain on them.”
“Thank you…very much,” Tristan replied. “I’m waiting for the final tally of the value of assets Reeve has recovered. Once that’s in hand, I’ll be able to discuss reparations with you. In the meantime, I’m working on finding a doctor because it seems many of the pups are suffering from malnutrition.”
“I can help with that,” Jackson said. “Talk to your pack and see if they’ll agree to having my pack doctor see their pups. If they’re okay with that, I’ll put you in touch with him to arrange visits.”
“I appreciate that a lot.”
“What about your supply of food? It won’t matter what the doc does for them if the pups can’t get enough to eat,” Jackson said.
“Right now, I’m managing, thanks to the extra supplies the High Council sent,” Tristan replied. “But the future will depend on what assets Reeve can find.”
“Dire Enterprises can also help,” Steel said. “We have a grant program that can help your pack with getting necessary healthcare, food, and other necessities. I can have the director of the program contact you if you’re interested.”
“Definitely!” exclaimed Tristan. “Every little bit will help me ensure a brighter future for my pack.”
“I have one final question,” Jackson said, “Enforcers are as necessary to a pack as an Alpha. And right now, the Silver Point Pack has none and that worries me. Hiring good ones is a time-consuming and expensive job which means your pack won’t have some for a while. What are…”
“I can answer that,” Reeve replied. “My men will be staying at the Silver Point Pack until Tristan can hire replacements.”
Chapter 10
Jackson gave Reeve’s answer some thought before he said, “That’s a good beginning, but who will your enforcers report to? You…the High Council…the Alpha of Silver Point Pack? It’s bound to breed confusion when there are three bosses, each with his own agenda.”
“You want to know…”
