For the first time, the man reacted. He slightly narrowed his eyes, as though thinking that through.
“But you don’t need that challenge to define where I sit in your hierarchy?” he asked.
“No.”
Before I’d met Drex, I wouldn’t have understood what that meant. Now, though, I realized Drex could never have a powerful shifter like this in his pack. He’d need to challenge, even if the guy just wanted to live amongst them and not officially join the pack. If Drex didn’t win, he wouldn’t be able to stomach the shifter hanging around. He’d always worry the shifter would forcibly take the pack.
The other alphas had probably had the same reservations. They’d wanted to help him but didn’t want to risk it. They worried he would do exactly what he just said, not really believing he had no interest. Worried he might change his mind.
I believed him, though. If he’d wanted to take over a pack, he would’ve, rather than living out here by himself. He’d chosen this solitary life to try and find some peace in a world that couldn’t believe he wanted it. I didn’t know him or anything about his past, but that seemed obvious.
Compassion finally broke down my wariness. “We’re not like shifter packs.” I took Austin’s hand. “Or gargoyle cairns. Or anything else, really. We only have this convocation to tryand help magical people.” I let my tension bleed away. “Austin created a safe haven before he ever planned to be an alpha. I’m helping him extend that to the rest of the shifters, and hopefully, down the line, mages. Come on, let’s get a fire or something and some food, and sit down and have a chat.”
His gaze shifted to me, and he was once again silent. “I’ve never heard of a female gargoyle,” he said finally.
“I got the magic from a house. Seriously, a fire and some food. It’s chilly here. I’m not used to it after being in suffocating humidity for the past week. Or at least a sweatshirt.”
His eyebrow ticked up. He hadn’t been expecting that.
“Who are you?” he asked Austin, clearly not ready to trust us and let down his guard.
“Austin Steele. Formally Austin Barazza of the Gossamer Falls generational pack line.”
The man’s eyes widened in evident surprise. “The youngest Barazza boy?”
“Yes.”
The man’s eyebrows lifted. “That explains the power. I heard you had a very healthy dose. The wildness, too. The rumors didn’t do you justice.”
“I’m hearing that a lot lately.”
The man grunted. “You made something of yourself, huh? No one thought you would amount to anything after you…left the pack.”
“Slunk away in disgrace, you mean?” Austin replied sardonically. I leaned into Austin comfortingly. Also, he was warm. He let go of my hand and put it around my shoulders. “I wouldn’t have, not in any real way. The gossiping alphas would’ve been right. But then I met my mate and…” He shrugged. “Things change. We have food we can grill up. We can tell you the whole story, if you want.”
The man assessed me for a while longer. “Fine. There’s just one thing. I’m not the only danger in these woods. You’re trespassing, and the watchers have shown up to check it out. They don’t have a strong compulsion towards forgiveness.”
24
Jessie
Basajaunak exploded from the trees.They ran at us, growling, their hair bristling. To my surprise, the man stepped forward with his hand out to stop them.
“They didn’t know,” he said loudly. “They are here for me?—“
He cut off as the basajaunak slowed, relaxing into grins, their focus on Sebastian, who had jogged a few steps away. Dave stepped out from within them.
“I told you!” he said, devolving into laughter. “Did you see his face? He always does that, even when he knows we’re around.”
We’d met a band of basajaunak on our way to this clearing, hiding in the trees and watching us. It had taken no time at all to explain that we didn’t know this was their territory and that some of their distant kin were part of our team, and they were on their way. It was easy after that to gain admittance to the area. Dave had declared me and our crew family, and that included even distant kin.
I tsked. “Dave, stop terrifying Sebastian.”
“I can’t seem to get over how scary they are,” Sebastian said in a shaky voice.
Half the basajaunak broke down laughing. The man stared at us as though we’d grown another set of heads.
“You have basajaunak in your…what’d you call it?” he asked.
