Page 32 of Heart and Soul
Hillerman nods slowly. “Let me ask one more thing?”
“You’re asking my permission? Are you feeling all right?”
“Just one more thing.”
“Fine, but only if you letmeask one more thing.”
“Sure,” she says.
“Okay, shoot.”
“You and Brenner aren’t rogues. You formed your own pack.”
“That’s right.”
“So who’s the alpha?”
I suppress a groan. This topic is annoying, and doubly so coming from a human who can’t possibly understand. “That’s easy. Don’t have one, don’t need one.”
“Foxes can’t be alphas?”
“Yes, they can, but…”
“But not you?”
“I haven’t felt anything. It would have awakened in the process of leaving my pack.”
“And it didn’t?”
“No. But Brenner’s stronger than anybody thinks.”
“So you just default to him?”
“Look, this may be hard to believe, because he doesn’t seem it, but if humans could be alphas, he’d be one. And that’s no bluff.”
“I believe it. Have you told him yet?”
I grit my teeth. “You saidonemore thing.”
“So you haven’t told him? Is it dangerous?” Hillerman raises her hands in defense. “No judgment. I’m really asking.” She points at herself. “Demon expert, remember? Pack behavior’s not my jurisdiction.”
I wipe a stray drop of hot cocoa from the side of the mug. “No, I didn’t tell him that it can be dangerous for a pack to have no alpha. It can be provoking to stronger packs. Their alphas would be tempted toassertthemselves, to put it nicely. Thank you so much for pointing out what weaklings we are.”
“I don’t think you’re weak at all. In fact, I think you’re an alpha, whether you feel it or not.”
“Sorry, I know you hate to be wrong, but it just doesn’t work that way.”
“We’ll see.”
“You know what, let’s go back to being mean to each other. It’s less weird than this.”
“Go ahead and ask your question.”
“No, I changed my mind.”
“C’mon, I asked my one more thing, now you ask yours.”
“Forget it. I know when I’m being played. The only time you ever pretend to be nice to me is when you want something. If you’re leading up to another offer for me to join your task force, the answer is still no. Not now or ever.”
