Page 100 of Confusing Hearts

I nodded. “I think so.”

“They are going to parade us around to the Alphas of the largest known wolf packs in hopes of garnering sympathy and aligning the wolves. I hate that they are going to put you on display like that—the little panther whose only fault was falling in love with a wolf. We could just leave, you know? Disappear.”

I considered that for a moment. “If you had mentioned that a week ago, I’d have been perfectly content and onboard with that plan, but now, it’s different. Wolves are pack animals. I would be fine, but after spending time here in San Marco, meeting your family, seeing the connections of the wolves here, I can’t ask that of you. You need your pack. You need your family, and for some crazy reason, so do I. Besides, what kind of people would we be to leave and force them all to deal with our crap? Daddy will still come after them. He’ll still try and punish someone even if he can’t get to us. I can’t live with that on my conscience. Can you?”

Relief, that’s what I felt when he shook his head sadly. “I know you’re right,” he said. He kissed his bond mark on my shoulder. “Let’s do this then.”

Forty-five minutes later we had showered, dressed, eaten breakfast, or in my case picked at it, as I was too nervous to eat much, and then we were on our way down the mountain.

Almost immediately we passed the sign reading “Leaving San Marco,” we turned right onto a dirt road. A little ways in, it opened up to a huge lodge. It looked like the kind of getaway honeymooners and families alike would seek out.

Exiting the vehicle, Chase took my hand and squeezed. I could feel his nerves even while he tried to give me courage. Inside, the lobby of the lodge was even nicer than the outside. A huge stone fireplace was the centerpiece of the room, and comfortable leather chairs and couches were strategically placed throughout.

“This is nice,” I commented.

“Thanks,” Kyle said. “It was Patrick’s idea, and a damn good one. This is the first instance we’ve had to use the place. In some strange way I suppose we have you two to thank for that.”

Chase snorted and shook his head.

“My mate always finds the good in any situation,” Kelsey said as she and Patrick walked in from one of the hallways. She gave Kyle a quick kiss.

“Everyone’s here,” Patrick informed him.

“Everyone?” Kyle asked, sounding a little shocked and maybe a tad uncomfortable.

“Everyone,” Kelsey assured him.

“I heard Nikolai was finally chosen as the new Alpha of the Bulgarians. Is that true?” Kyle asked.

“It is, Alpha,” Patrick said formally.

“I remember him well. He was always a fair and worthy opponent in the camp games as young pups,” Kyle said fondly. “Let’s hope that hasn’t changed too much over the years.”

Chase pulled me over to the side. “Taking Patrick’s cue, I think we should stick to formalities here. Anytime you address Kyle, call him Alpha. Kelsey’s title is Pack Mother. Can you remember that?”

I nodded.

“You can address me as Beta, as well as Cole, who’s around here somewhere,” Patrick said as he walked over to contribute to the conversation. “There will also be a lot of other Alphas and Councilmen. You can differentiate the Alphas by adding their pack before their title. Longhorn Alpha. Collier Alpha. Bulgarian Alpha. Do you understand?”

I nodded again.

“Formally for the Councilmen you can call them ‘Grand Councilman’ then insert their name as you learn them. Same goes for Pack Councilmen. I know it’s a lot to take in, and I wish we had more time to prepare you both, but for the most part, just sit quietly and only speak when specifically spoken to. Kyle and I will try to intervene wherever we can.”

“Do you have any questions?” Chase asked me.

“A million, but they can wait. Have you ever sat through something like this before?” I asked him.

“No, the last gathering of the packs took place before I was born. It’s not an everyday occurrence, and the formalities go a long way to show reverence and respect to our guests. In a setting with so many Alphas, it’s especially important. Things can go from friendly to hostile quickly. Should that occur, stay behind me. If I’m not around, Patrick or Kyle will protect you, or stay with Kelsey. Trust me when I say she can hold her own with the whole lot of them.”

Patrick led us all down the hall he and Kelsey had come from and into a large conference room. There were sixteen tables throughout the room. It seemed a little odd to me at first, then I remembered how territorial wolves can be. Memories came back of how Chase had to literally mark our territory at the cabin after the tigers had been found there. I assumed the layout of the room was to give each pack, plus the Grand Council, their own space.

Kelsey passed out legal pads and pens to each of us. On the top of mine she had writtenRemember, wolves have really good hearing, so write your questions down before speaking aloud.

I nodded and smiled reassuringly at her.

When we were settled, I jotted down my suspicions about the room, and Chase confirmed them. I looked around at the tables curiously, checking out the people sitting at each. Chase grabbed my arm gently to get my attention and pushed his pad towards me.

Do not make eye contact. Keep yours lowered, or else it could be considered a threat.

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