Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“Yes. If they choose to battle with us…” Aljoe surveyed the alphas, breaking off into their cliques to chat. “Austin isn’t keeping to the schedule?”
Much like forming tight, synchronized lines, shifters judged a function’s timing and adherence to a schedule as a sign of good leadership and, therefore, a good alpha.
Sue took a sip. “It’s assigned seating and he’s spread out the cliques. He wants to give them a chance to talk amongst themselves, see who starts a problem when they’re forced into different groups.”
“Any worry the gargoyles will?”
“Doubt it. They’ve had two weeks to figure it out, and they’re all excited to get in on this convocation. I think Jessie’s got that all locked down.” He sighed. “About time.”
“Why didn’t he include a cocktail hour in the schedule?” Nina asked.
“Not adhering to the schedule is part of the plan,” Sue responded. “He mentioned at the start about not following traditions. Now he’s proving it. Some shifters will be very annoyed about all this. At the end of the week, if they make it that long, we’ll see who can loosen up enough to handle the changes.”
“Was it actually a plan?” Aljoe asked, not having heard about it.
Sue’s lips twitched up at the corners, drawing Nina’s eyes. “No,” he answered. “You should know by now, Al-joe, this group rolls with what comes. Austin had planned to give Armendale a wide berth until direct action was needed. You saw how that went.”
“Yeah, about that,” Nina said. “Is Austin actively trying to incite a challenge?”
Sue looked around. “I don’t think so. I think he’s responding to the threat he feels. His style is to go at it directly. So is Jessie’s.” He paused. “And they are. Neither of them will have any problem fielding a challenge from Armendale.”
Aljoe shook his head slowly, looking toward the bar. He’d planned to order a drink after they sat, but if the schedule was out the window…
“Nessa is grabbing you something,” Sue told him. “She said she’ll put it on the floor at your feet if you have a problem with her handing it to you.”
Nina looked at Aljoe with slightly raised eyebrows, asking if there was something going on with him and Nessa.
“She’s making fun of me and shifter custom,” Aljoe explained.
Nina’s eyebrows twitched up further. Since when do you allow this?
“You’ve met her,” he replied. “She has this way about her. It’s impossible to react too seriously when she’s joking.”
“Truth,” Sue replied.
“Armendale will not challenge Austin,” Aljoe said. “It isn’t just the power, either, though that is probably a lot of it. Austin has a raw, ruthless unpredictability about him. He knows how to fight, and he’s used to winning. Armendale, on his cloud of generational privilege, probably doesn’t realize the details of that, but he feels the fear of it. He’s smart enough to know that if he challenges Austin, he will lose.”
“Just like all those times you wondered if he would finally challenge you,” Nina told him.
“He was a coward then, and he’s a coward now. Nothing will change that. But he won’t want to lose face, either. No, he’ll play dirty. I’ve always heard that’s how he operates. He cheats. He’s good at it, though.”
He paused as Nessa worked her way toward them. She stopped next to a younger alpha who was watching her, frowned at him, pointed at her face, and said, “This is my shifter face. Do I fit in?”
His expression didn’t change, but his body advertised his interest. “Nearly. You’re the mage, right?”
“Low in power, high in ego. A winning combo.”
“Like a few people in here, then.” His body showed the humor. “You are allowed to smile. It would be a shame if you tried to fit in.”
“I mean…” She leaned closer and winked at him. “We’re all allowed to smile. What would it take to coax one out of you?”
“Thank God Tristan is not a possessive man,” Aljoe whispered.
“He is,” Sue said, “but only when she feels threatened. Neither of them care when the other flirts. Different culture.”
“Clearly,” Nina murmured.
The man stared at her, obviously at a loss for words. He was probably deciding if he should answer her honestly—which she likely wouldn’t understand, because she wasn’t a shifter—or say something suggestive.
Before he could figure it out, she beamed at him. “Food for thought.”
She slipped away, walking toward Aljoe. She held out a drink and lifted her eyebrows.
“What’s the play here, cowboy?” she asked.
“You’re in a great mood.” Aljoe took the drink but didn’t immediately put it to his lips. People could wonder.
A dark cloud passed over her eyes. It was gone in a flash. “Am I a go for launch?”
Aljoe studied her. “I was just telling Sue and Nina that Armendale won’t challenge Austin because he knows he’ll lose. Instead, he’ll cheat. The problem is no one has ever been able to prove his shady behavior. We don’t know how he operates.”