Page 16 of Fight
"That's good to hear, if that changes, you just let me know, girl, and I'll help you take care of things."He patted me on the back like a daughter.
"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I'll need it.I don't think Devon would ever do anything that I couldn't handle on my own, or at least that I would need to call in the enforcers for."
"And I'm not saying he would, and I'm not making the offer as an enforcer.Just keep it in mind."
"I will.Thanks."I was starting to think of Terry like a member of the family.I don't think my dad even knew Terry, but he was very close with Bill, and he treated me much like Bill did.It felt natural.
We were almost to the door to Bill's office, when Bill himself appeared in the doorway.
"There you are.I heard you come in and was just coming to get you.Come on in, Nickie, have a seat."He lead the way to the seating area at one end of the long narrow room.I chose one of the two overstuffed leather chairs, my longtime favorite of the set, and sat down, resisting the urge to curl up and get comfortable, like I normally would.Bill had asked me to come in as the Anikitos, not as an old family friend, and it seemed appropriate to keep it at least a little bit professional.Terry backed out of the room, leaving us to our discussion.
"Alexis told me that you felt like you could shift Hank's sister but that she's decided not to try."He began."I want to make sure you're still willing to meet other non-shifters and, provided you think you can shift them, make the offer to do so."
I shrugged."I am."I said, nodding.
"Even if it's not here?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm asking if you're willing to travel, to go to the non-shifter, most likely under false pretenses, at least at first, meet them, see if you think you can shift them.After you make your assessment, if you think you can shift them, I'll send Alexis out, and together you can make the offer and attempt the shift.If you don't think you can manage the shift, you come home, end of story.No one needs to know why you were really there."
"I'm open to the idea, though I have some reservations."I said cautiously.
"That's why we're here now, to discuss any reservations, second thoughts, reluctance you might have."
"This is gonna sound stupid and weak, but I'll just come out and say it.I've never lived anywhere but here, and other than the occasional family vacation, I've never even been anywhere else.When I have traveled, other than a day or two in Tucson or Phoenix, I've never gone alone. I'm barely becoming comfortable within our pack.I'm not at all comfortable traveling to someplace I've never been, and dealing with a pack I don't know when it's all so new to me.I'm still unsure of so many pack customs and protocols.I'm afraid I'll inadvertently do, or say something, to insult someone and start a pack war."
"It's not stupid or weak, it's realistic, and surprisingly insightful.Admitting that you have reservations, and being able to put them into words, is intelligent.Never doubt your instincts.You have them for a reason.But rest assured, I wouldn't send anyone as new to the Kindred as you are, into another pack's territory alone.
"On top of that, I wouldn't send you alone anywhere, any more than I would send Alexis alone.You're skills are too rare, and too valuable to the pack, just as you personally are too valuable to me.Any time I send you out of town on pack business, I'll assign an enforcer to go with you.That enforcer's job will be two-fold; the first being to act as your protector, the second will be to help you learn Kindred etiquette and diplomacy."
I was quiet a moment, thinking."Under those circumstances, I'd be willing to go.My other big concern is more that the non-shifter not be pressured to make the decision that the family, or pack leader, wants.You know that I believe it's a decision that's entirely up to the non-shifter involved."
"I'm not yet certain how we'll deal with that one, but I feel the same way.I understand why Hank's sister chose not to try to shift.It may not have been what I would choose, or what their parents would have chosen, but it was her decision to make, and she decided what was right for her.I intend to do everything I can, to see that any non-shifter we make the offer to shift to, gets to make the decision for themselves."
"Thank you."
"Any other concerns?"
"One, but it's only tangentially related.I'm not sure if you're aware that Devon and I are potential mates."
"I wasn't aware of this."He looked thoughtful.
"We realized it after I shifted him the first time.I was drawn to him before, but I'd never heard of mating, so I dismissed it as normal attraction.After he shifted, and realized what it was, he explained it to me some, and I've gotten more information from Alexis.We've been seeing each other since.Neither of us is ready to make a big commitment right now, but we're not willing to let it go, either."
Bill nodded, considering."That's going to complicate things."He said slowly, thinking."He's not going to be happy if I send another male with you, and I don't have any female enforcers right now.I'll figure out how to handle that, before it becomes an issue."
"I can't think of anything else that concerns me, at least not off hand."
"If you come up with anything else, let me know.I'm not ready to send you anywhere yet, I don't even know where I'm going to need to send you."
"Oh," Something occurred to me."if these trips are going to be more than a couple of days, weekend trips basically, I'm going to need a couple of weeks’ notice so I can get the time off work."
"That shouldn't be a problem; I don't foresee this being something that will ever need to be done on an emergency basis, if it ever does, we'll work something out."
"All right."
"Have you heard anything more from Brandon?"Bill asked, shifting subjects.
