Individual comments got lost in the quiet chaos of the next few minutes, as Titus’s friends and allies gathered around to congratulate him, while those who’d voted against him sat in silent shock. And since the chairman had called a recess, I grabbed Justus’s hand and pulled him into the dining room, where we joined the crowd around hisbrother.
“Kaci.” I turned at the sound of my name to see Jerold Pierce looking down at me. “I hear congratulations are in order,” he said, with a glance at my grip on Justus’s hand. Where my rings were easily visible. “So…congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I wasn’t sure what else tosay.
“And congratulations to you as well,” Pierce said to Justus. “The news caught us all by surprise, but I wish you thebest.”
“Thank you,” Justus said just as his brother emerged from the smallcrowd.
“Titus.” Pierce extended his hand. “No hard feelings, I hope. My objection was to an unknown dynamic with an eleventh member on the council, not to your presence specifically.” He lowered his voice to little more than a breath of sound. “If it had been an option, I might have voted someone else out and taken you on as thetenth.”
Titus’s smile was tight, but not unfriendly. “Of course I have no hard feelings, Jerold. And I look forward to working with you. I believe our interests are bound to align on severalfronts.”
“I hope you’re right.” Then Jerold Pierce excused himself to refill hisglass.
“Well, that was awkward,” Justusbreathed.
“Keep watching,” his brother whispered with just a hint of anothersmile.
“What’s the plan?” I demanded in as low a voice as I could muster, but Titus only patted my hand, then headed into the kitchen to join Faythe and Marc around the coffeepot.
“Is he always that…tight-lipped?” I asked Justus as we headed into thehall.
“No, usually you know exactly what he’s thinking. Whether you want to or not. Though it’s possible that’s my perception because the bulk of my interaction with my brother has been with him in the role of my legalguardian.”
“I have a similar perception of Faythe,” I murmured. “Though I suspect in her case, it’saccurate.”
The Alphas began heading toward the dining room again, and this time no one shooed us out when we slipped into the room. Evidently Ed Taylor didn’t mind if we watched his attempt at acoup.
“Okay,” Rick Wade said from the head of the table, when his colleagues were all seated. “The only new business on the agenda for today is regarding the tribunal for Justus Alexander’s upcoming trial. The names drawn include Alberto Di Carlo, Ed Taylor, and Paul Blackwell. But since we’ve lost Paul, we have a decision to make.” Rick folded his hands on the table. “As I understand it, we have two proposals on the table. Robert, you believe that since you inherited Paul’s leadership of the Southwest Pride and his seat on the council, you should also inherit his position on thetribunal.”
“Stands to reason,” Robert Taylor said with a firmnod.
“But Faythe, you and Marc contend that Robert should not sit on the tribunal unless his name is actually drawn. If the council sides with you, the options for a redraw include drawing for an entirely new tribunal, or drawing to fill only the vacant seat. Which option are you intending topursue—”
Ed Taylor stood. “Rick, if you don’t mind, we actually have one other, more pressing bit of newbusiness.”
Rick Wade’s surprised look was impressively realistic. “Well, I guess if it’spressing…”
“I’d like to call for a new vote on the council chairmanposition.”
Wade’s brows came together in a fierce scowl. He stood slowly. “That position is not up for vote.” His surprised fury was highly convincing. Though the fury part was likely veryreal.
“With all due respect, Rick, we all just voted to give Titus the same rights, obligations, and privileges the rest of us have, and one of those rights is to vote on the leader of this council. Which he has not had a chance to do. You voted to accept him. You must also accept any potential changes that votebrings.”
Wade hesitated. “Is that how you allfeel?”
Several heads bobbed, from both sides of the table. Faythe aimed an unsure glance at Ed Taylor. Then she turned back to Wade. “For argument’s sake, I’d like to point out that historically, we’ve never called for a new vote on the chair position simply because the council gains a new member. However, today we’ve actually gainedtwomembers, which means that nearly a fifth of us didn’t have a chance to help select our leader. A new votedoesseem like the fair thing to do for both Titus and Robert.” She shrugged. “A vote doesn’t necessarily mean leadership will change, Rick. In fact, I’m betting it won’t. But this time, if you’re re-elected, you’ll know for sure that you have the unwavering support of themajority.”
“Well said.” Ed Taylor nodded, as if he’d expected nothing less from the most progressive member of the council, but I could see surprise hiding in the crinkles around his eyes. He and Faythe disagreed as often as theyagreed.
“Well then I won’t object.” Rick Wade stood straighter and glanced around the table. “But I think a simple raised-hand vote will suffice.” His gaze narrowed on Ed Taylor. “I assume you’re throwing your name in as myopponent?”
“Well, I thinksomeoneshould,” Taylor said. As if he hadn’t been planning this allalong.
I did the math in my head. Faythe’s alliance was virtually guaranteed to vote for Rick Wade. Which would give him his own vote, as well as his son’s and Bert Di Carlo’s, as well as the vote Faythe and Marc shared. Which was four out often.
No, out ofeleven.
