Still bent over, my happy hormones began to have a fiesta. “Shit,” I murmured, stumbling out of his grasp.
“Did you get your shower?” he asked wolfishly, sexing me up with his eyes.
“While you were plowing.”
“Mmm,” he growled. “I’d like to do more plowing.”
“Not now. We have to get ready.”
He turned away and swaggered toward the ladder to our loft. “If not now, when?”
***
The town hall meeting took place in a large building on private property. Rows of metal chairs faced a wooden podium and a microphone. A dramatic painting of wolves in battle spanned the entire length of one wall, and an area near the doors had wooden letters spelling out what looked like pack names. Posters of various businesses covered the opposite wall—presumably shops run by the local Shifters.
The refreshments in the back were calling my name, so April and I shimmied over to the table and loaded up on strawberry punch and chocolate cookies. We watched the crowd trickle in, and while I kept my ears open to the chatter around us, no one knew why the Council had summoned us. No one except for a few alphas huddled in the back, speaking in low voices and watching the crowd as if they were there to control any outbursts.
Austin suggested we stand by the left wall with the business posters since we didn’t belong in this territory, and he didn’t want to take someone’s chair if they had limited seating. This was a hell of a lot more organized than what we had, which was basically nothing. They must have held meetings regularly, because the packs sought out specific sections to sit in, most likely in order of power.
A formidable man approached the microphone, his heavy steps announcing his arrival. A few people stirred in their chairs and quieted. He wasn’t a man you could easily forget—bald, stout body, and a grey goatee. Not to mention the leather vest. I was willing to bet he was the one who owned the Harley parked in front of the main door.
“If everyone will take a seat, we’ll begin,” he said gruffly, tapping the microphone.
Chairs filled up fast; there must have been close to five hundred people. No children though. The Packmasters had probably left them at home under heavy protection.
“Most of you know who I am. However, for the sake of formalities, I’m Wendell Rivers. But everyone knows me as Axel.”
A few people in the crowd chuckled, as did Axel.
“Some of you know why we’re here, but most of you don’t. To give you the short and sweet of it—Northern rogues have invaded our borders.”
Murmurs grew loud within the room, and chills swept up my arms.
Axel cleared his throat while adjusting the mic. “We’ve kept it quiet to prevent unnecessary panic. Over the past few weeks, these men have been entering our borders and taking out packs. It started up north with the smaller ones, so we had a feeling they were targeting the weaker packs in order to gain a foothold. We didn’t make the connection until a few local bounty hunters compared notes and put the pieces together.”
“Why weren’t the Packmasters informed?” a voice boomed from the back.
Axel gripped the edge of the podium and delivered a penetrating stare to the audience. “Because paranoia would set in, and you’d be killing each other. Once we had everything under control, we captured a few prisoners and drove the rest out. Packs throughout the state have been given information on a need-to-know basis, depending on where they live.”
“Are we safe? What if they do it again?” a woman yelled out, and a few people murmured in agreement.
“Then they’ll meet with opposition. Packs along the border have agreed to patrol, and we’ve set up a system to make sure no Shifters get in without us knowing about it. Our bogus patrol cars are pulling over suspicious vehicles with out-of-state plates and multiple male passengers, but some of the rogues came in on foot. If you see any unfamiliar wolves on your property, I want you to report it before taking action. Packmasters, we’re giving you full authority to do whatever necessary to protect your territory, but we need to know about every single incident. Do not act unless you’re certain it’s not a neighboring pack accidentally crossing territory lines. Mark your territory, and stay alert.”
Axel leaned back and let everyone talk among themselves.
My heart beat at a hummingbird’s pace, and I wondered if our cabins were close to any of the local packs. “Austin, we can’t let our wolves out,” I whispered.