Page 146 of Wolf Roulette

The office door was slammed against the bookshelf.

I glanced up, phone held to my ear. “Let’s suspend work in Sandstone today. The focus is on cleaning up darts and compiling a thorough inspection of the pack’s management.” I listened to Trixie’s reply. “Alright. See you this afternoon.”

I hung up. “Wade. Can I help you?”

He squared his shoulders. “You certainly can.”

Striding forward, Wade tossed a thick folder on my desk. He leaned forward on his hands to peer into my eyes.

What the hell?

“I’d like to take you back to 1846,” he said grimly.

I inhaled my friend’s determination. “If you need to.”

“We can both agree it’s imperative.”

Can we?“The floor is yours.”

“Since its birth, the Annual Deception Valley Ball has formed the cornerstone of relations between the public and the Ni Tiaki. The event fostered friendships and business networks between our people. In an isolated town, the ball was anticipated astheevent of the year. Women would spend the year creating their outfits as shown in some old pictures I pulled from records—”

“Where are you going with this?”

He spoke over me. “The ball of today is a sad, weak replica of what once was. Our tribe has allowed this tradition to fall into woeful despair, and I strongly believe it is our solemn duty,now more than ever, to resurrect this event to its full power.”

Wade opened the folder and I eyed the thickness of the contents.

He began again. “Luthers, tribe, and—”

“I have a call that I can’t miss in five minutes.”

Wade glared at me. “This is important.”

A lot of preparation had gone into his presentation. “I’m not saying it isn’t. I’m saying that you need to get to your point. You know I’ll listen.”

He maintained his glare for another beat before sighing heavily. “Fine. Prior to the last fifty years, the Deception Valley Ball always meant a week off Grids. I want this tradition reinstated. The ball was once vital to relationships between tribe and public, but in my humble opinion, it can be used to the same effect between the pack and Ni Tiaki now.”

Humble wasn’t a word I’d apply to Wade.

Ever.

I leaned back. A week off Grids for the ball…

We had three grids in our possession and the two hardest battlefields remained. The odds of winning Clay or Water were far lower than those we’d already turned over.

A week off Grids for the ball would mean an extra week to prepare for those grids.

A week off could affect my steward’s winning momentum though, and that wasn’t something to disregard. Morale held great importance.

Then again, improving relationships between Luthers and stewards felt like an insurmountable task, and one thathadto be achieved to form a lasting truce.

Every little effort could help.

Wade hadn’t breathed in thirty seconds. He really did believe in this ball. My friend was smart about people.

I nodded. “I’ll back you on this. I can see the benefits. It’s up to you to convince the head team. Put together an official request for the pack after. If Sascha says no, my hands are tied.”

He smirked. “He’ll agree.”

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