Reno chewed on his lip for a minute, and his gaze drifted up.
After Reno had bathed and dressed April, he’d put her to bed and must have checked on her at least a dozen times. With Austin away, the second-in-command involved himself in all important pack discussions, but I could see the need to care for his woman was making it a challenge.
“How the hell are we going to drive them out?” Wheeler asked, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Pull up an empty bus and form a line? One-way trip to exactly where? Then they’re someone else’s problem.”
George noisily slurped his coffee. “Not if the other big cities start thinking the same way. Push them into the woods where they’re not even fifteen minutes from a convenience store. Back in the Civil War, men died from starvation and hypothermia. If there are a lot of them, they might deplete their own food sources if they rely on their animals to hunt for them. I doubt they have much money, so if they lose their coats or shoes, then they’re going to have a hard time getting more supplies. We need to make their lives hell. Their leader is playing a game of patience, but hungry men sitting in the godforsaken wilderness don’t think straight. They’ll grow resentful toward the man who led them to such living conditions, and some will go home.”
William strode forward and leaned against the wall to the right of the TV. “Indeed. The comforts of a city will set them at ease. Most Shifters don’t want to live in the woods without shelter, and perhaps that’s why this rogue band went against their orders and waged their own private war. It won’t be long before they’re committing robberies and other crimes. Idle hands are the devil’s tools, and forcing men to camp in the woods for months at a time will inspire mutiny.”
The front door opened, and Austin appeared. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as he hung his keys on his nail and strode through the living room.
Wheeler and Naya got up when Austin knelt before me and examined the bandage. “Does it hurt?”
“No. Edward gave me magical goop that takes away the pain,” I said, hoping a dose of humor would put him at ease.
He held my hand to his face and kissed it, eyes closed.
“I’m fine,” I whispered.
“I was just saying how I think it’s time we act,” George said, patting Katharine’s hand. She stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders, eyes resolute.
Austin stood up. “Damn right we’re going to do something. I called the Council and handed over the bodies. I left nothing out of the report—not a damn thing.” His gaze flicked back to me, and I knew he was also talking about the body he’d hidden.
Austin sat down beside me so hard that the air whooshed from the seat cushion. He tugged at the back of my pants, coaxing me onto his lap. I shifted to my right side and settled against his chest, feeling the intensity of his body heat and muscle encasing me.
“What’s the plan?” Reno asked.
“Mass exodus. Between what happened in Colorado and the attack tonight, the Council believes it’s enough evidence to justify their actions.”
I lifted my brows. “What actions?”
“Effective tomorrow, Shifters without local residence will be forced to leave, and a hotel doesn’t count. They need papers for land or their name on a deed. Anyone who doesn’t will be arrested. Anyone who resists arrest will be met with force.”
Wheeler chuckled. “Where do you think you’re going to put them all? Mayhap we don’t have enough room in the jail.”
“They don’t know that,” Austin said. “There’s enough room in there to make a point, and those men can be shuttled out to make room for more. They’re going to the higher authority to see if they’ll be willing to send Regulators to offer a hand. But you know how that goes.”
“Yeah, the higher authority isn’t going to lift a finger to help out Shifter drama,” Jericho said from the floor, twisting a skull ring on his finger.
William folded his arms. “Say, how do you intend to spread the word?”
“Gossip does a good job of that,” Austin said. “I don’t know how they’ll be able to verify residence for those who live in apartments, but I suspect they’ll make sure they’re employed. Something tells me the Northerners aren’t coming down here to get jobs. I bet most are squatting on land the Council doesn’t own. Those with money are probably pooling it for rentals, so large groups of Shifters living in a one-bedroom will get noticed quick. The Council is rounding up a group of qualified men to enforce their orders.”
Maizy leaned forward. “What do we need to do?”
“Prepare for what’s coming. They’re going to ask for volunteers to monitor a radius around the territory lines for any unusual activity, but I don’t know how effective that’ll be.”