Austin arranged a meeting in one of the private rooms at the Blue Door, a local Breed club. It had a masculine vibe with dark walls and black leather furniture. Two long couches faced each other on the right side of the room, separated by a glass table and a chair on either end. They not only had privacy, but most rooms were soundproof so Vampires couldn’t eavesdrop.
Turner, a member of the Council, sat at the bar and stirred a packet of sugar into his glass of tea. Lexi had always joked about how he looked like a redneck version of Sean Connery. He had the most pull in the territory, and he’d invited Romeo, another Councilman who often accompanied Turner to mating ceremonies and other official gatherings. Romeo had dark skin, freckles, and a friendly demeanor. He gave Austin an impassive glance from his spot on the sofa.
Turner licked his spoon and set it on a white napkin before sliding off his barstool. He eased up to the upholstered chair opposite Austin and took his time sitting down. The cubed ice in his tall glass clinked as he drank several gulps. Austin grew impatient as Turner wiped a few drops of tea off his beard.
“So what makes you so sure that Texas is on the target list?” he asked, setting his glass on the table.
Austin touched the cleft in his chin. “Axel interrogated his prisoners, and I have no reason to doubt him. You haven’t heard anything?”
“Well, we don’t exactly have a hotline, son.” Turner stroked his short beard. “I don’t see a reason to panic. If they’re going to start a war in Texas, then Dallas or Abilene will be high on their hit list. They’ll be working their way down to the border.”
Austin leaned forward, frustrated. “Unless they’re coordinating the attack. If they hit one city at a time, word would spread. Packs would beef up security.”
“Word doesn’t always spread. If they had to retreat from Colorado, then they won’t be staging another attack in the short term. An experienced leader would assess the damage, rethink his strategy, and relocate his soldiers where he sees a shot at victory.”
“I’ve heard rumors.”
Turner reached for his tea, the condensation dripping from the bottom of the glass. “People sure love to talk.”
“Rogues have been moving through the city for the past month. Were you aware of this?”
“Can’t do anything about it. They ain’t breaking any laws, and there’s no proof of what their animals are. They could be panthers, lions, Sensors, Relics—who the hell knows?”
Austin rubbed his hands together, eyes still fixed on Turner. “If you’re unwilling to bring one of them in and hire a Vampire to poke around in his head, then we need to consider increasing security. My mate came up with an idea—”
“Lexi Talulah?” He cackled and ended it with a snort. “She’s a firecracker, that one.” The ice clinked against his glass as he raised it in a toast.
“She suggested that the prominent packs in the territory lend a few of their men to the midsize packs for extra security—just a temporary arrangement.”
Turner leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “And what about the smaller packs?”
“Either the larger ones can absorb them or they can band together.”
“And who will be in charge?” Romeo interjected, lacing his fingers together.
Austin didn’t have the answer to that question. “They’ll have to find a way to work together.”
“You can’t have one Packmaster with dominance over the other,” Turner said. “He’d lose standing with his own men. I think we all know that the size of a pack doesn’t determine an alpha’s importance.”
Austin leaned back. “If I had to do something like this, then it would be better to pair me up with someone I can work with. Maybe that should be taken into consideration. If the Packmasters come to a disagreement, then their betas can step in to give advice.”
“You’re not considering this, are you?” Romeo asked Turner. “And how long do you expect these packs to live together? A month? A year? Whose land? One of them would have to abandon his territory—an easy acquisition for the enemy.”
Austin chuckled. “Let’s be real. Packs under ten don’t have anything worth taking but a shack and a few acres at best. That’s not what the Northerners are coming all this way for. Smaller packs might resist, but the larger ones will adhere to whatever rules the Council puts out. This isn’t about feelings; it’s about survival.”
“I don’t know.” Turner scooped his fingers into his glass and then chomped on a piece of ice. “Asking a Packmaster to give up his men won’t be an easy task, even if it’s for a worthy cause. Who do you think will give you a loaner?” he asked, a chuckle dying in his throat.