Page 184 of Wolf Roulette

I returned the microphone to my lips. “Tomorrow, we could win Victratum. This game could be over. One week ago, that would have been a cause for celebration. Now, we know better.”

This gathering had to be different from anything I’d done before.

I perched on the edge of the stage. “Please take a seat on the grass. If you’re near a steward unable to do so, please help them to a chair at the back.”

Five minutes later, the tribe was more comfortably situated. This felt far more like the more informal gatherings during the new moon.

“On Sunday, you learned many new things,” I said. “What are your thoughts about what you heard? Raise your hand, and a head team member will be along with a microphone. Please don’t hold anything back. We must come to a decision on this tonight for obvious reasons, and I don’t believe this should be my decision alone—or that of the head team. Please be aware that the decision made will be final.”

A steward stood, Wade just behind him.

“Drake,” I greeted. “What are your thoughts?”

He swallowed. “It seems hopeless, Head Steward. If the Luthers leave, then other supernaturals might come, but even if we work with the pack, we’ll number less than two thousand. You said there aretensof thousands of the other races. Aren’t we better to just win Grids and see what happens in the future? Plus, if the other races attack, they could kill the remaining Luthers. Why would the pack stay and put themselves in danger when there’s an airport being built and they can go?”

There were more than a few nods.

“Our numbers are a problem,” I answered. “Can anyone see a solution to this?”

No one raised their hand.

I continued, “We’ll come back to that. For now, pretend that numbers aren’t an issue. Let’s move on to the other part of Drake’s comment. Why would the werewolves stay when they’d be in danger? To that, I pose a question to you all. Why wouldn’twejust leave? We aren’t trapped. We could escape and never need to worry about other supernatural threats. Don’t forget that most of the pack have lived in Deception Valley for over two hundred and sixty years. Their lifespans are far greater than ours. Think of the connection you feel to this land after ten, thirty, or seventy years. The pack consider this valley their home, and that’s why they’ll protect it. Just as we will. But to stay, the pack would need to feel theycancall this valley their home. That’s a certainty.”

Another steward stood. Trixie crossed to her.

“Jessi.”

“Head Steward.” She tugged at her hemp tunic. “I guess in any partnership, both sides need to feel they have a reason to work together, but to call this home, the pack would want what they’ve always wanted, wouldn’t they? That goes against everything Ni Tiaki value and I’m worried that would cheapen the sacrifices our ancestors made to fight for our home. I want a solution, but it seems impossible.”

“Thank you, Jessi.” I pursed my lips. “I believe there are two parts to a solution. One, this tribe firmly believes the land should be protected. Care of the land has been a clause in Victratum since day one. The pack have always, until their recent lapse due to inexperience, displayed the utmost consideration for this valley. Those who have visited pack lands have witnessed the care Luthers take with their territory. On this point, the tribe and pack are of the same mind, butcontinued care of the land could be a condition of any proposal we make to the pack.”

“And what would our proposal be?” she asked.

“Which brings me to the second part of a solution. Ownership of the valley has and always will be against our tribe’s code. The pack has made a proposal already with our code in mind,” I announced. “But I want to ask you to come up with solutions before presenting that.”

The tribe stared up at me.

Yeah,that was pretty much the head team’s reaction.

Stanley held the microphone out to Margaret Frey.

“They won’t remain as guests, and we won’t let them own the land,” she said. “So there’s only one solution. We do for them what we did for ourselves one hundred years ago. We gift them land in trust.”

Her words created a stir.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever loved the woman more.

She sat, and the stewards whispered to each other.

“What do others think?” I prompted.

“What if the pack took advantage of the trust somehow?” a steward named Jeffery asked.

They were getting there. “Perhaps adding a safety clause to the contract as well as a care of land clause would be a good idea.”

The stewards began to debate with each other. I chimed in at intervals to keep the discussion focused.

After twenty minutes, I drew their conversation to a halt. “On behalf of the pack, Sascha Greyson has presented a similar proposal to what you’ve discussed. He believes that if his people are offered land in trust, then they will be open to an alliance with us against the outward threats we face. We would work in tandem to collect information on the surrounding supernatural threats and to work on our operations and defences in readiness of any future attack. The tribe has strengths the pack doesn’t, and the opposite is also true. Our chances of success are far higher if we work side by side. That doesn’t mean we need to do anything against our Ni Tiaki code.No oneowns lands in this valley, and that will continue. We can return to the pack with a counter proposal and include any safety clauses we like, but I’m in agreement with Margaret Frey. This is the only way I can see that we can put the land feud to rest and protect this tribe’s future.”

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