“Well liked, obviously. I can’t make such grand claims as I just did and not think the world of myself.” Evan laughed. “In order for this to work, we need to be able to easily integrate into your fliers at a moment’s notice. Gerard said you had ample time to train for the last battle. For the next battle, we might not have any time at all. We will need to show up and know how to work together.”
I nodded, because that was entirely true. Evan was proving to be incredibly intelligent and forward thinking, with his eyes on the future.
“I would like to send my lead enforcer and another couple of my best Guardians to train with you. I ask that you teach them how to integrate into your team, and that you instruct them on how to teach others. We have good fighters, but not necessarily good teachers.”
“Done,” Austin said, “with the condition that they answer to our authority. They will not be equal to Tristan or Jess. They will be led by them. In town, they will follow the rules or answer to Sue or myself. They shouldn’t bother turning up unless this is understood. We’ll make them suffer for it and send them back.”
“Absolutely.” Evan nodded. “The otherhumblerequest is that you don’t take all my Guardians and garhettes. Tristan, I’m sure, has told you that our community robs personnel from each other. Gimerel has been torn to shreds with the amount of people leaving.”
I glanced at Austin. Patty had mentioned an influx of new people into our territory, but said we’d go over details after we were done here. Obviously, the influx she was referring to were gargoyles and garhettes. It was starting to feel like we’d been away too long.
“Obviously, if people really want to go, I will not stop them,” Evan went on. “I just ask that you don’t actively recruit.”
“We won’t,” I assured him.
“Shifters look down on that practice,” Austin said. “It’s nothing to extend the courtesy here. Get to something I want to say no to.”
Evan laughed and twisted a little button on the lamp beside him on an end table. “Don’t worry, that’ll come when we talk about the business of the production cairns.”
“There’s one issue, though.” I paused as someone came in with a pitcher of water and a tray of fruit. Apparently, we’d covered the hard-hitting stuff and were getting into the more relaxed portion of the meeting. “We will be on the road for the discernible future. Austin needs to?—“
Austin reached over with his free hand and braced it against my thigh to stop me. “I was going to tell you this when we were getting ready to leave as a surprise. There’s been a change of plans. I’m not going to continue the shifter tour like some sort of door-to-door salesman. Like someone begging them to join a cause that will save their lives.”
“What are you suggesting?” Tristan asked, but I already knew from the arrogant sparkle in Austin’s eyes.
“You’re going to go full peacock, aren’t you.” I smirked at him.
He shook his head at me, warmth now competing with the arrogance. “Not me,us. You’re going to dazzle them with the riches and history of Ivy House, while I strut my posh businesses and fancy toys in front of them. Then together, we are going to create a spectacle of power and ferociousness that will widen their eyes and make them check their boxers. I will not beg for their time. Not anymore. I will force them to beg for mine, and I’ll do it without mercy.”
“An Alpha Conclave,” Sue murmured. “There hasn’t been one of those in…”
“Over a hundred years,” Austin said with a nod. “Mimi was at the last one. The way she tells it, it devolved into chaos. Too many big egos and far too much power and need to dominate.”
“There’s a reason it hasn’t been put on since,” Sue said.
“Yes.” Austin got a little more comfortable. “Most of the alpha network wants to see me fail, and some of them, especially those jealous of Kingsley and my family, want to see me fail in a huge way. They won’t resist the invitation because they’ll want to see it in person. They’ll want the stories from this. It’s the one way to get themallto come to me. I’m going to invite every powerful alpha to one place, and I’m going to harness Jess’s and my team’s power to control it.”
Goosebumps rose along my flesh. “Not just shifters, though.” It felt as if Fate lodged a heavy weight in my middle. Talk about gut feelings. “All the alphas. The gargoyles, basajaunak—invite them all. Let’s show the shifters they’re not the biggest and baddest creatures that walk this earth. And then, when we dominate, we’ll go after the mages once and for all.”
37
John
The jet hitthe landing strip, sending the plates and trays sliding forward as the plane braked. Austin caught a tray headed for Jessie’s lap, but another slid onto the floor, scattering truffles.
Tristan bent and scooped up the truffles trying to roll down the aisle. “Five second rule.” He popped one into his mouth and dropped the rest into his empty pocket. The other pocket was already filled with a different kind of chocolate. The guy was like Willy Wonka.
A glass fell over in the back. Other trays were grabbed and John—who everyone was now calling Aljoe because they thought Edgar’s logic was hilarious—looked at all the snacks in utter bewilderment.
Why would anyone think all this food, littering every square inch of available space, was a good idea? Past mistakes or no, this was beyond rationality.
Then again, wasn’t that the very nature of Jessie’s crew? No rules. No logic. It was just pure chaos. No pack would ever survive run like this.
The mind-boggling thing was that it worked. And honestly, it worked really well. John was pure astonishment.
“I really do need to tell Mr. Tom that this is all way too much,” Jessie whispered to Austin. John assumed Mr. Tom couldn’t hear. The butler was sitting a few seats back without a table to monitor. That couldn’t have been by coincidence.
Ulric leaned across the aisle. “Yes, you do. It’s one thing being covered in a mountain of cheese and another eating the stale leftovers from these flights. One I can tolerate. The rest I guilt-eat so as not to waste, and I am not a fan.”
