“Maybe this isn’t the kind of thing a kid should be involved in.”
Lorenzo folded his arms. “Lakota is now a man, and he’s strong enough to be a second-in-command if he finds someone worth serving. These are things he’ll be expected to do in his position; trust and secrecy are a part of that.”
“Why can’t you just call all your men over and we’ll take on these guys?”
Prince positioned himself as if blocking the wind from hitting me. “Because, young wolf, while we might win that battle, we do not know the repercussions of taking down an entire unit. They’re likely in contact with other units and know each other’s locations. That could bring a swarm to your territory. They’ll take you out for spite and make it look like a house fire, returning to their hiding spots until their leader gives them orders to begin the attack. Shifter wars don’t operate by the same rules you see on television. My woman is intrigued by human movies.”
“Sorry. I thought—”
“You’re a strong alpha, and it’s only natural you want to fight to protect your family. Once the war begins, each unit will be busy attacking their assigned targets, so they won’t have the resources to pool together like they do now.”
Pale storm clouds brewed overhead, and Lorenzo’s voice crackled with anger. “When the time comes to go to war, blood will stain our land—seeping into the ground and nourishing the roots of our trees. There will be no hiding bodies and concealing our actions. We’ll rise up and fight to keep what is ours.”
Prince glanced at his watch. “We wouldn’t be feuding with ourselves if Shifters had been given opportunities instead of closed doors. You cannot return a man’s freedom and yet deny him the same liberties that you enjoy. I’ve seen the struggles and know why it’s come to this.”
I shivered and leaned against Austin. “What if the Council were to give them land?”
“Doesn’t work that way, Lexi,” Austin said. “If you give a screaming child a toy, all it teaches them is that misbehaving earns them a reward.”
I laughed. “We’ll see what you think about that when you have your own screaming baby to contend with.”
Austin was right though. We’d discussed the topic before, but the negotiator in me kept looking for an out.
After several minutes of waiting and listening to Austin talk about his car, a rustle in the dry grass drew our attention upward.
A young man crested the hill, wind blowing the shoulder-length hair jutting out from his oversized beanie. He also didn’t have a coat—just a red T-shirt, which showed off his tan complexion. He grinned from ear to ear and spread out his arms. “We should hurry before Caleb notices his car is missing.”
Lorenzo huffed out a quiet laugh. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear Lakota was my son in another life.”
***
While the Packmasters disposed of the rogue, Reno ordered Denver and Trevor to guard the property that afternoon and evening. Meanwhile, my mom and Katharine were arguing with George in the kitchen over who was going to cook dinner. You couldn’t pair two more opposite women, and yet they got along famously.
George’s skills in the kitchen were legendary, and he considered himself the master chef of the Cole clan. I preferred his cooking over Katharine’s simply because he bought his meat at the grocery store and made the best pot roast on the planet. After a brief squabble, he finally capitulated and sulked on the living room sofa, watching Transformers with Lennon and Hendrix—his favorite (and only) grandsons.
Sometimes a girl needs to get away from the chaotic world inside a pack, so just after sunset, I decided it was a good time to take care of some business.
April adjusted the car heater and held her fingers in front of the vents. “Are you telling me that you don’t have any problem working with a Vampire?” she asked skeptically.
My pink bunny slipper pressed on the gas pedal. “No, and I think you’ll like him. That’s why I asked you to come along with me tonight, so you can meet him. I thought I’d show him around the shop and give him the grand tour of the kitchen.”
“At night?”
I smirked. “I didn’t want a bunch of customers to be there. And besides, if sunlight bothers his eyes, then I should be a considerate boss and respect his differences. Right?”
She glanced at her blue fingernails. “I suppose.”