“Has he gone through his first change?” I asked, wondering if he’d reached the age of maturity when his wolf would emerge for the first time.
Ivy played with the loose hairs at the end of her braid. She didn’t have on any makeup, nor did she need it. The firelight played off her warm skin and drew attention to her natural beauty. “He has. Lakota matured early, and perhaps that’s why he’s downstairs with the men instead of upstairs with the children.”
“He’s hardly a child at twenty,” William noted. “Soon he’ll be searching for a pack of his own.”
“That comes with time,” Ivy agreed. “He still needs to live on his own and figure out what kind of man he is before settling with a pack. He’ll be a strong second-in-command, but he has much growing up to do.”
An eruption of laughter sounded from the other room, one laugh cackling high above the rest.
William smirked. “That’s Caleb.”
“Do you miss your old pack?” I asked.
It wasn’t common for a second-in-command to change over to a new pack. They grew very loyal to the alphas they served.
He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, the curls of his brown hair having a soft appearance as if he’d spent time brushing them before the party. “There are times I miss my position. I can always see my old packmates anytime I choose.”
“They look up to you,” Ivy said.
“Indeed.” But the way he said it carried a trace of sadness.
I set my drink on a small wooden table to my left. “We love you, Will. Everyone in the pack looks up to you, even if you’re not the beta. You counsel all the packs in the territory and resolve conflicts, so you’re basically doing the same thing for everyone instead of just one pack. But…”
His eyes flashed up. “But what?”
“Don’t tell Austin I said this. If you ever want to leave the pack, you have my blessing. We’re a family, and we love you, but if you’re not happy, I’d rather see you somewhere else.”
He scratched a spot beneath his eye and looked uncomfortable as he sat up. “I have no desire to go anywhere else.”
“What holds you to our pack if being a beta is what you miss the most? You could easily get that with any new alpha starting a pack. I’ve heard there are some old betas ready to retire, and not all of them like the prospect of hiring the third-in-command. I bet Maizy could run an ad on her website. You’ve got the experience, so why stay if this isn’t what you want?”
William gave a tight-lipped smile and set his drink down. “Say, why don’t I bring you dames a few of those hot dogs I saw out there?” He patted the arms of his chair and then rose to his feet.
Ivy slanted her eyes. “My mate would never serve hot dogs at a peace party.”
But William was already out the door.
Ivy twirled her cane between her fingers, a glint of silver from the wolf’s head catching my eye. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that wolf has a secret.”
“He’s not one to sit around talking about himself. Will’s always been on the reserved side.”
“That’s not the William I remember. He’s changed since joining your pack. He’s different somehow. If he’s dissatisfied with not being Austin’s second-in-command, it makes me curious why he seems more content than he was with us.”
I snorted. “Because Austin lets him sleep in. Reno doesn’t get that luxury.”
We laughed in unison and rose from our chairs.
“I mean to speak to April tonight,” Ivy said. “I hope it won’t make her uncomfortable to talk about her being a Mage. Is she handling it well?”
I shrugged. “Best anyone could hope for. She struggles with being different, but then she was always different from us in some ways.”
“But so alike in others.” She reached for her cane and turned it in her hand. “Have you encountered any rogues? Peace on the verge of war frightens me. It’s been quiet here since the Council forced them to leave the city.”
“Too quiet,” I agreed. “I haven’t heard about any incidents, but I’ve noticed a few packs getting a little comfortable and not preparing. Austin says we can’t force them.”
She stopped halfway to the door and faced me. “I don’t like the calm one bit. Houston took the same measures as we did, but San Antonio wasn’t able to coordinate that kind of action. They haven’t left, and that concerns me. I don’t know why their leader makes them wait. He risks them losing the spirit of war.”
“Maybe he’s not such a smart guy,” I suggested, lacing my fingers across my stomach.
“Perhaps not all of them traveled down with the first wave. Lorenzo and I have spoken at great length about what possibilities await us. Unfortunately, we won’t find out until it’s too late.”
“I’d like to find out who their leader is and tether him to the back of a speedboat by his ankles. If we capture him, we could stop this whole thing.”
“The wheels are in motion, Lexi. You can’t stop an avalanche.”
“Maybe we should move until this all blows over.”