Jase’s eyes, my stomach giving a now
familiar lurch. Everything else became nothing more than background
noise as he soundlessly offered me the food. I might not have been
on top of Shifter customs, but in my heart I knew accepting it
meant something. The question was, was it something I was willing
to give him? If it was forgiveness, then no. I wasn’t ready, and
very well may never be. But was I willing to begin considering the
possibility? To start rebuilding what was once the most important
relationship in my life? Could I do that without betraying Alex or
myself?
As I weighed the possible implications of
taking him up on his offer, Jase’s face began to slowly crumble,
making my decision for me. “Thank you,” I said, taking the food
from him. He was my brother. I had to at least give us a chance to
fix what was broken between us.
I stepped over Makya’s prostrate form and
made my way to the place where Talley was looking from me to the
beaten coyote on the ground and back again. I had already devoured
a hotdog and half a cheeseburger by the time I made the twelve
steps it took me to get there.
“ Let me guess. That wasn’t
proper Shifter etiquette.” I wiped some mustard off the corner of
my mouth and contemplated whether I wanted ribs or a pork chop
next.
“ Etiquette-wise you were
fine. It’s the besting Makya part that has people a little
shocked.”
“ Why? Makya is a loser. I
could have taken him without the lycan advantage.”
“ Scout, Makya is one of
the highest ranked juvenile Shifters in the Pack. There are only
five people above him.”
Makya was suppose to be strong and dominant?
That was just sad. “Who are the five?”
Talley raised her eyebrows as if I was
missing something obvious. “Toby, Jase, Charles, Charlie, and
Robby.”
I choked on a bite of ribs and desperately
wished Jase had thought to grab me a Mello Yello. “Jase and
Charlie? Seriously? Like Jase Jase and Charlie Charlie?”
“ How many other Jases and
Charlies do you see around here?”
The dynamic duo in question were standing
off to the side of the crowd with Toby and a few men I didn’t
recognize. Jase and Charlie flanked Toby, and I noticed none of the
other men would meet their eyes as they talked to them. “Jase and
Charlie are Dominant?”
“ Their grandfather was
made Pack Leader at the unprecedented age of eighteen. Jason took
his place when he turned twenty-two. After Jason’s death there was
a bit of unrest, some of the cousins felt they were more capable of
taking over than Charles was. He had to take on a lot of
challenges, but he managed to keep the top spot until Toby was
ready to take over.” Charlie’s dad, I noticed, was keeping to
himself. He was also on his second case of beer for the evening by
the glassy look in his eyes. “No one has ever challenged Toby
because there is no need, he was obviously the most
dominant.”
“ Was?”
Talley looked around to see if anyone seemed
interested in our conversation. There were several eyes glancing in
our direction on a regular basis, but most everyone seemed more
interested in talking about me than finding out what I was saying.
“I don’t think anyone is paying attention to us,” I said.
Talley nodded towards the edge of the yard
where Gramma’s ancient a/c hummed loudly. Catching on quickly, I
walked over close enough that our voices would be drowned out
without being too obvious to our intent.
“ So, who is the up and
comer? And please don’t say Makya, because that would be a very sad
commentary on the strength of this Pack.”
“ I already told you, Makya
isn’t in the top five.”
“ You think Robby can take
Toby?” The Hagan in question sat on one of the benches, engaged in
a lively exchange with a guy whose name might have been Mason.
While Toby was lean and cut, Robby was built more like a
linebacker. I could see where the fight would be close, but my
money was still on Toby.
“ Robby? Not a chance.”
When she
familiar lurch. Everything else became nothing more than background
noise as he soundlessly offered me the food. I might not have been
on top of Shifter customs, but in my heart I knew accepting it
meant something. The question was, was it something I was willing
to give him? If it was forgiveness, then no. I wasn’t ready, and
very well may never be. But was I willing to begin considering the
possibility? To start rebuilding what was once the most important
relationship in my life? Could I do that without betraying Alex or
myself?
As I weighed the possible implications of
taking him up on his offer, Jase’s face began to slowly crumble,
making my decision for me. “Thank you,” I said, taking the food
from him. He was my brother. I had to at least give us a chance to
fix what was broken between us.
I stepped over Makya’s prostrate form and
made my way to the place where Talley was looking from me to the
beaten coyote on the ground and back again. I had already devoured
a hotdog and half a cheeseburger by the time I made the twelve
steps it took me to get there.
“ Let me guess. That wasn’t
proper Shifter etiquette.” I wiped some mustard off the corner of
my mouth and contemplated whether I wanted ribs or a pork chop
next.
“ Etiquette-wise you were
fine. It’s the besting Makya part that has people a little
shocked.”
“ Why? Makya is a loser. I
could have taken him without the lycan advantage.”
“ Scout, Makya is one of
the highest ranked juvenile Shifters in the Pack. There are only
five people above him.”
Makya was suppose to be strong and dominant?
That was just sad. “Who are the five?”
Talley raised her eyebrows as if I was
missing something obvious. “Toby, Jase, Charles, Charlie, and
Robby.”
I choked on a bite of ribs and desperately
wished Jase had thought to grab me a Mello Yello. “Jase and
Charlie? Seriously? Like Jase Jase and Charlie Charlie?”
“ How many other Jases and
Charlies do you see around here?”
The dynamic duo in question were standing
off to the side of the crowd with Toby and a few men I didn’t
recognize. Jase and Charlie flanked Toby, and I noticed none of the
other men would meet their eyes as they talked to them. “Jase and
Charlie are Dominant?”
“ Their grandfather was
made Pack Leader at the unprecedented age of eighteen. Jason took
his place when he turned twenty-two. After Jason’s death there was
a bit of unrest, some of the cousins felt they were more capable of
taking over than Charles was. He had to take on a lot of
challenges, but he managed to keep the top spot until Toby was
ready to take over.” Charlie’s dad, I noticed, was keeping to
himself. He was also on his second case of beer for the evening by
the glassy look in his eyes. “No one has ever challenged Toby
because there is no need, he was obviously the most
dominant.”
“ Was?”
Talley looked around to see if anyone seemed
interested in our conversation. There were several eyes glancing in
our direction on a regular basis, but most everyone seemed more
interested in talking about me than finding out what I was saying.
“I don’t think anyone is paying attention to us,” I said.
Talley nodded towards the edge of the yard
where Gramma’s ancient a/c hummed loudly. Catching on quickly, I
walked over close enough that our voices would be drowned out
without being too obvious to our intent.
“ So, who is the up and
comer? And please don’t say Makya, because that would be a very sad
commentary on the strength of this Pack.”
“ I already told you, Makya
isn’t in the top five.”
“ You think Robby can take
Toby?” The Hagan in question sat on one of the benches, engaged in
a lively exchange with a guy whose name might have been Mason.
While Toby was lean and cut, Robby was built more like a
linebacker. I could see where the fight would be close, but my
money was still on Toby.
“ Robby? Not a chance.”
When she
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