Shawn rolled his eyes again.“All I did was point out the fact we’ve been standing here for forty minutes.”
“Yeah.Well, I need to warm up first.”
Marc pushed his shoulder.“Warm up done.Go talk now.”
Trip, grimacing, glared at them both but headed into the crowd and did as Marc bid.Trip wasn’t the obeying sort, so it told Shawn how vital it was that they worked together to ease the effect Ryan’s failings had on the Pride.
Truth was, Shawn was kind of relieved to note that Ryan had any failings, period.The man seemed like he walked on fucking water sometimes, and in comparison, Shawn truly felt the lack.
With a grunt, he murmured, “I’d mingle too but I don’t have a clue who these people are.”
Marc snorted.“Count your blessings.”
Shawn cocked a brow.“Seriously?”
“Yeah.Trip drags his feet for a reason.Not just because he’s an introvert.”
“Why?”
A sigh escaped the older man.“Being a part of a Pride is… great.It truly is.But there are tiresome chores that come as part and parcel of it.It’s one thing when you’re just part of the crowd.If it weren’t for Ryan, neither Trip nor I would be here tonight.We sure as fuck wouldn’t be working the group.That’s not our style.Although,” he hesitated, “I guess it used to be mine.Now, it just bores me shitless.Still, I do it because it’s important.The Pride needs to see the public face of the leadership, and Ryan won’t do it.”
“Why won’t he?”Shawn asked softly.Ryan seemed to be spread pretty thinly, so that could have been the reason why, but from Marc’s expression, Shawn doubted that was the reason.
“Because, when it boils down to it, he doesn’t want to be leader.So holding things like this, being at events, it’s torture for him.Interacting with the Pride is more than he can stand.”Marc’s lips twitched.“It’s quite amusing when you think about it.Not for him, or for us, granted.But still… A lot of men here would kill to be the leader.Literally.They would kill.There are challenges that keep leadership primed and strong.Anyone can challenge Ryan today, they’d fight tomorrow, and the winner would live and lead on.No one dares challenge Ryan.He’s way too strong.”
Shawn’s eyes widened.“I didn’t realize that.”
“Why would you?”Marc asked dismissively.“You don’t understand how the Pride works, and you don’t understand Ryan yet.He does what he does because he has no choice.”
“Are challenges always to the death?Couldn’t he just, I don’t know, discuss it with other Lions?”
Marc shrugged.“I guess so, but he’s too young.At the moment, when it comes down to it, his Lion would never let him concede.”
Shawn blinked.“The Lion has a choice?”
“Where things like that are concerned, yeah.Plus, Ryan’s relationship with his beast is more complicated than it is for us lesser beings.His Lion is always a few feet away from taking total control.It’s a sign of his strength and power that he withstands that onslaught.”
“Trip was explaining that to me a few minutes ago,” Shawn murmured, nodding his head in understanding although, to be fair, he didn’t understand a whole lot.Rubbing his chin, he asked, “So, the beast wants to be leader and the man doesn’t?”
“That’s about the long and the short of it,” Marc said ruefully.“It’s a constant struggle, and it gets boring after the hundredth conversation.Ryan will go through phases where he’s more antisocial than ever.It takes me, Trip, and Adam to remind him of his duties.
“Like today.Adam told him there’d been whispers about him.His scent on the property had grown weak.I mean, I can’t even remember the last time he shifted.”
“But he shifted today, right?”
“Yeah.Good timing too.A lot of people here don’t live on the compound, but Ryan’s scent is strong on the perimeter.It cuts him some slack for a while.”
Shawn shook his head.“This is really complicated.”
Marc chuckled.“It’s not really.It’s all just politics.If Ryan doesn’t piss on enough trees, people get concerned.It’s like the barrier’s down to our land.”
“TMI, bro,” Shawn mocked as he shot him a grin.
“Get used to it,” Marc retorted, then with a sigh, murmured, “Do you want to be thrown in at the deep end?You’re going to have to pick up Ryan’s slack too, unfortunately for you.”
Ryan shrugged.“I don’t mind.I’m used to being a ghost at these kinds of events so it’s all good.A change is as good as a rest.”
“You’ll regret saying that,” was Marc’s prediction as he led them both deeper into the crowd.
