Kaci gasped and clasped one hand over her mouth. “It was my idea. I suggested we get married.Iproposed toyou! In front of that fountain at thehotel!”
My pulse began to slow and I smiled as I squeezed her tighter. “Youremembered.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” She looked horrified. “I was someanto you the next morning, and the whole thing was myidea!”
I shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d believe me, if you couldn’t rememberit.”
“Okay. That’s beautiful, and all, but we have to get on the road.” Vic’s phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket to read the incoming text. “Oh,damn.”
“What?” Chris leaned over his shoulder to look at the phone. He frowned. “Paul Blackwell justdied.”
“We need to get home.” Vic headed for the door. “Rightnow.”
Seventeen
Kaci
“So, what’s going to happen?”I asked, watching as Faythe bounced baby Ethan with every step she took. “What does this mean for Justus’shearing?”
“We’re not sure yet.” Faythe paced back toward me, still bouncing. “We know that Blackwell’s son-in-law, Robert Taylor will officially take over the Pride after the funeral. Which is scheduled fortomorrow.”
“Wait, Robert Taylor?” Justus said. “Any relation to EdTaylor?”
“His brother.” I stood and held my arms out. “And Jared’s dad. Faythe, why don’t you let me takehim?”
“Thanks.” She laid baby Ethan gently in my arms, then snatched a pacifier from the edge of her desk. “Don’t forget to support his head.” Then she frowned. “How’s yourarm?”
“Fine. It was just a gash, and I shifted twice this morning. Your mom’s going to remove the stitches thisafternoon.”
“Okay.” With a sigh, she sank into her rolling chair and propped her elbows on the table, then she turned to Justus. “So, Paul Blackwell’s name was drawn at random for your tribunal. His son-in-law’s name was not. Robert Taylor is insisting that he’ll inherit a position on the tribunal when he takes over thepride.”
“Is that a problem?” Justus asked. “Do we not wantthat?”
Faythe shrugged. “Blackwell ruled the Southwest Territory with a notoriously closed fist. He never let anyone speak for him. Because of that, other than vague rumors that Robert is a little less conservative, I know nothing about where he stands on the unresolved issues on the council’s plate. Which currently include your hearing and your brother’s formal petition to have the Mississippi Valley Pride officially acknowledged. And frankly, having a brand new Alpha on the council has thrown a potential wrench into both of thoseproceedings.”
“Because you don’t know how he’ll vote?” Justusguessed.
“And because we have a potential new alliance inplay.”
“The Taylor brothers,” I whispered, as I rocked the groggy baby in my arms. He was surprisinglyheavy.
“Yes. Since the war, we’ve largely fallen into two camps, divided along the stray-split: where each of us stand on acknowledging strays as citizens and accepting Titus onto the council. Ed Taylor has never taken a firm position either way. He and Jerald Pierce were always potential swing votes. But now that his brother is also on the council, there’s a better-than-excellent chance that they’ll vote together, to establish a new power dynamic. And no one knows how that vote willgo.”
“So, there are currently two Wades on the council—Rick and Isaac—and they’re allied with you and Marc, and Vic’s dad, Bert Di Carlo. That’s four votes in the pro-stray camp.” I was narrating aloud both for Justus’s benefit, and because the singsong pitch of my voice seemed to be lulling the baby toward sleep. “Nick Davidson, Wes Gardner, and Milo Mitchel usually vote together, and Blackwell would have been in their camp before—four anti-stray Alphas. Leaving Jerold Pierce and Ed Taylor as unallied and undecided. Except that now the two Taylors could be going eitherway.”
“Or their own way,” Faytheconfirmed.
“How would that work?” Justus asked. “An alliance of two doesn’t seem to have much swing in a pool of tenvotes.”
Faythe nodded. “Which means they’re probably planning to stand with one side or theother.”
“And until we know whether they’ll swing toward the pro- or the anti-stray camp,” Marc said from the doorway. “We won’t know whether or not it’s safe to let Robert Taylor replace Blackwell on yourtribunal.”
“Well, Ed was planning to vote with Blackwell, against Justus,” I said. “Doesn’t it stand to reason that Robert will too, if they’re allied? If so, that doesn’t change anything.” And wereallyneeded to changesomething.
Faythe frowned. “Are you sure that’s how he was planning tovote?”
“That’s definitely the impression I got,” I whispered, because the baby had fallenasleep.
