None of these people know me. I can’t blame them for hanging back a little. I need to earn their trust.
Grace and I take our position in the little covered seating area, and to my surprise, Grace steps forward to take the lead.
“Thank you for coming, everyone,” she says warmly. “We’re here on our first day as a new pack to choose councilmembers, and I’d like them to be elected by all of you. The first thing I want to do is welcome everyone—the people who chose to come, as well as those who were selected in the lottery system… like me.”
A nasty, regretful feeling tangles inside me, and I remind myself again that Grace had no say in this. I always have to account for that.
I’ve lived for duty every day of my life, but I can’t expect her to do the same.
While I’m fumbling with my thoughts, Grace addresses the concerns of others who were brought here by the lottery system, assuring them that she feels just as lost and confused as they do, and that in time, they’ll build a new home even better than the last.
“I know the people who have come from Eccles will probably be excited to start over fresh,” she says with a smile. “Since all of us know what it’s like to have absolutely no say in pack decisions. Those of you from Rose Hollow are used to an inclusive system where every voice is heard—and Clover folk, I’m not sure how your meetings would usually go?”
“We’re just happy to be here,” a teenage girl says, stepping forward. “We’re close to Caliente, and this town has all the modern amenities our older pack members are refusing. I basically don’t care how you run things, so long as I’ve still got hot running water and a decent signal on my phone.”
Laughter breaks out through the crowd, and Grace smiles. “Good to know. Anyone else have something to say before we start?”
“We’re from Rose Hollow,” a young woman says, stepping forward. “And I’d like to nominate myself for council, if that’sokay. My name is Julia, and I’m committed to making a new home here.”
“Thank you, Julia,” Grace says. “Anyone else?”
“I’m Fletcher.” A young man with tangled blond hair and faded, patched clothes steps forward. “I’m from Eccles, and I sure as hell want to make sure we make a better pack here than the one we just left!”
A few cheers break out, and Grace looks like she wants to cheer as well. Even though I jumped into this with duty in mind, I didn’t really think about the complexity of it. Having someone in leadership who was hurt by Eccles’ first families could be our strength—or our greatest weakness.
Thoughts of the snake tease my senses again, and I try to turn my mind away from it. I have an innate distrust of magic workers, and I didn’t need close encounters with an ancient spirit to put it there.
But it sure as fuck didn’t help.
As other nominations are made, I step forward to take control of the meeting.
“It’s excellent to see so many people willing to offer their time and skills for the sake of the pack,” I say. “We’ll have a group discussion and elect all our new members by majority vote.”
“Sounds like it’s going to take a while,” someone mutters.
“That’s why we brought food,” Julia says, smiling.
A few people laugh, and I laugh too, enjoying the vibe.
I really think this is going to work. People are getting along so well already.
As we move into the discussions to elect our new council, I try to keep thoughts of the snake locked away so I can focus.
We need to be united and strong before it attacks. But what if we do all this work just to get blown to hell?
When we pause for a break, I try to talk to Grace, but she moves away from me into the crowd. Even though she smiles and engages with people, all I can see is how strange and different she appears compared to the others.
It’s definitely her scent, but something else as well. As if my instincts are trying to warn me that something isn’t right.
She pauses in the crowd, tilting her head as if listening to something. When she turns and looks right at me, I see a flash of something dark in her eyes before she covers it with a smile. Suspicion blooms in me, and I know I can’t avoid this any longer.
I have to find out more about her, especially her magic. The snake needs witches and sorcerers… and I might have to protect Grace.
As she turns away from me, an even uglier thought crowds into my mind.
I might have to protect everyone else… from her.
Chapter 10 - Grace
