“Then I guess you know how my uncle feels.”
John’s gaze snapped back to her before drifting away again. “I guess I do. What do they say about my sisters?”
“They don’t have the clout and sway you did. They are a chorus rather than the preacher.”
“Is that right?” John mumbled, and the air seemed to pressurize. “And why do you suppose that is, Miss Alpha-in-Training-Wheels?”
Ulric widened his eyes and Jasper grimaced. That seemed like shots fired.
She didn’t rise to the bait. “You know why.”
“You sound like your uncle. Yes, I do. But do you?”
She hadn’t looked back at him. “You left a big shadow over that pack, and you left in a strange way. After you put so much effort into earning your title, you handed it away before your time was through. While you’re in your prime, I mean. Lastly, and what is probably the biggest reason—they are three people handling the territory of one. That has never been done before, not like this. Not after you bled to keep that territory whole and in the family. They are seen as a third of an alpha each, even though their individual power is rumored to be great.”
Ulric couldn’t pinpoint why, because John barely moved, but it seemed like he was impressed with Aurora’s answer.
“They are each powerful in their own right, yes.” John popped another piece of cheese into his mouth as the plane taxied down the runway. “Let me guess who leads the charge of these rumors.” He paused. “Could it be Armendale?”
Aurora barely inclined her head in assent. “Dad said Armendale didn’t hide his glee very well when you vanished. He stepped into the place you vacated and actively snubs your sisters whenever he can. Dad thinks he’s trying to keep them from claiming your former clout. Some of the others follow his example.”
“The others are sheep and fools.” John rolled his shoulders and looked away.
The fire dwindled from Aurora’s eyes as she studied him. “You weren’t exiled, then. You left to give them a chance.”
“After a certain point, stepping down had always been the plan. They knew that, even if the pack didn’t. I was a guardian of the territory, nothing more. My grandparents and I spent long hours training them, equally. Each one showed just as much promise as the next. Leaving was for them, yes, and when it came time, they were working better together than any one alpha could work independently. The territory has expanded greatly, and they are managing perfectly. Every fitness report is glowing. But they don’t boast about it. They don’t throw it in everyone’s faces. They are humble. They deserve to be the head of the alpha table, not ignored. Not pushed to the side.”
Aurora lifted her shoulder a tick. “Part of being at the table is knowing when to toot your own horn.”
“Does your uncle know how?”
The barest of a smile tweaked her lips. “Very well, yes. Better than my dad. I think the mages helped his swagger. When he wants to make an impression, he makes sure he is remembered.”
John grunted, snacking on the cheese as the stairs were pulled over to the plane.
“Do you see them?” Aurora leaned back. “I ask because my uncle disappeared and cut off all ties. The only reason we knew he was still alive was because he was developing a wild reputation. I wished he would’ve visited.”
“We meet in random towns, usually one at a time, sometimes two. Someone always stays back with the pack.” He paused for a moment. “They hate that I live like this. It breaks their hearts. I really should stop meeting up, but…they’re all I have.” He cleared his throat. “This is very loose chatter for a couple of alphas in a plane full of snacks and strangers.”
Ulric barked out a laugh. After John’s initial “What in the hell?” upon boarding, he had barely spoken, only answering questions with one or two words, usually “yes, please” or “no, thank you,” depending on what snack or drink he was offered.
“Is this…making an impression?” John asked, indicating the snacks.
“Yes, but not for you.” Ulric laughed again and told the story about Mr. Tom not stocking the plane for Jessie and resorting to offering her chocolate covered laxatives.
By the time they’d deplaned, John was back to laughing like he had the night before. Thankfully it wasn’t at Ulric, it was with him.
The vans,all provided by the cairn, climbed the last leg of the hill. The edge fell away on their right as they wound around a corner and then they were gazing at a vista of snow-dusted peaks and valleys. In front of them, a multi-level city sculpted from dark, weathered stone rose and fell with the natural contours of the land. Gargoyles hunkered on spires and rooftops, watching the skies.
The main architectural style was gothic, with arched windows and buttresses, but there were other buildings that resembled a fortress with straight lines and sturdy walls. The jagged peaks of the mountains in the background created a gorgeous tableau that really needed to be rendered into a painting.
“Wow,” Jasper murmured, gazing out the window at the city. “This is a lot bigger than I was expecting.”
“This is the most impressive cairn, in my opinion,” one of the other gargoyles in the van said. “Architecturally speaking. Gimerel used to be the most impressive in terms of Guardians,but I think that was due in large part to Tristan. They’re nothing now. We rocked them.”
“Guardians?” John asked Aurora.
“They’re essentially enforcers,” she answered, then went on to explain how they practiced battle and what a raid was. As the vans toured the city, clearly giving Jessie and everyone an overview of the incredibly impressive layout and structures, she filled him in on how our raid against Gimerel had gone.
