Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Jax
Shaky Ground
Thirty minutes before the meeting’s scheduled start time, there are already a dozen people waiting outside the rec center when Shawn and I arrive with Todd right behind us. They immediately swarm me, peppering me with questions while I unlock the doors.
Turning, I shove my anger down deep and channel my father.
“Enough!” I glare at them and at least four of them, two of them Alphas, take a step back.
“We’re doing this in an orderly fashion.
I’m not answering the same questions twenty goddamned times.
When the meeting starts, it starts. If your questions aren’t answered by the end of it, then you ask them. One at a fucking time.”
They all look chastised, and it’s likely because they’ve never seen me angry like this before. Not unless it’s directed at some outside threat.
I unlock the door and prop it open despite the AC being on. I was tempted to turn the AC off before we left, hoping the heat might prompt some people to leave early instead of sweating their asses off, but that would mean I’d also be sweating my ass off.
Todd helps me and Shawn get the podium out of storage and set up the microphone so I don’t have to shout over everyone.
No chairs; it’ll be standing room only unless someone else wants to grab them from the stacks and set them up.
And when someone comes up and asks me about doing just that, I tell them if they do, then they’re in charge of the chairs and they’d better be staying until every last chair is put back because I’m not doing it.
They opt to stand.
Yes, that’s mean of me, but if everyone’s standing, hopefully that will also mean they will be less likely to stay and argue for a while, especially if they’ve been on their feet all day working.
Todd’s mom, Iris, and his stepdad, Caleb, both show up. After hugging Todd, they walk over to hug me and Shawn.
Caleb glances around at the rapidly growing crowd and leans in, dropping his voice to breathe the words into my ear. “You’ve got our support no matter what this is about. Want me in back to shout them down?”
I nod. “Thanks.” I can count on the guy just about any time. He’s a lynx, and doesn’t look like he’s 132. If you didn’t know his age you’d think he was maybe in his fifties. While growing up I spent nearly as much time at his house with Todd as I did at my own.
Todd’s two little brothers arrive shortly after. Mason’s 47 and Peter’s 45. After they stop at the back of the room to greet Caleb and Iris, they walk up to shake hands with me, giving me a knowing head tip, then shake hands with Shawn and hug Todd.
I can’t start the meeting on time because the parking lot’s full in a way it rarely is, plus people are parking in the field across the street and walking over.
There’s still a line of several dozen cars waiting to park, too.
I don’t like the underlying discontented grumbling tone I’m hearing as people talk in small groups.
When I end up catching Chaz’s eye, where he and Davis are standing in the back by Caleb and Iris, he gives me a head tip and I hope that’s a good sign.
Maybe.
The meeting starts nearly thirty minutes late. I glance at Todd and he cups his hands to his mouth and bugles, silencing the room. “Hey! Pipe down! Pack Alpha speaking!”
The sudden, heavy quiet is nearly deafening as I clear my throat before stepping up to the mic. I’ve never felt nervous like this before when addressing my pack.
Ever.
But this…
We’ve never dealt with anything like this.
I also see a couple of people with their phones up, videotaping. While I know they’re smart enough not to post it online, I still make the announcement.
“Remember, this meeting is closed to people who aren’t of our pack,” I say. “I hear of anything posted online, you’ll be answering to me. I get needing to show people the footage who can’t be here, but don’t send it to people.”
Two phones immediately go down. I know enough about the ones I see still filming that they won’t break our rules.
I didn’t bring notes because I knew they’d be pointless. “Long story short, there have been deadly, unprovoked attacks on the Savannah fae colony, on a witch coven, and three vampire nests.”
When a few people start to grumble at the last one, I’m pleasantly shocked when Chaz pipes up from the back. “Hey! Show some fucking respect!” the tiger shifter roars. “Settle the fuck down and listen to the pack Alpha!”
I nod to him and he nods back, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his massive chest as the crowd quiets.
“I’ve already talked with Father,” I continue. “He’s verified the information. While we don’t know for certain, it’s believed that the people responsible for all the attacks are in some way related to Randolph Sterling’s Atlanta pack. Some of the bodies recovered smell of his packmates.”
I see expressions darkening but everyone remains quiet as I continue. “Those of you who are old enough damned well know what a fucker he is. Apparently, with his run for the US House, he’s trying to clean house of people who might oppose or expose him.”
“I’d like to expose his insides to the outside,” one man calls from the middle of the crowd, and a few people cheer that.
“So here’s the problem now,” I continue.
“I’ve been approached by Bruce Marchman from the Memphis nest. He’s already working with the witches and the fae, in conjunction with other nests, to hunt down those responsible.
Unfortunately, they took heavy casualties during the attack on their people.
The attackers killed mates, familiars, vampires, and their full-time security team.
Only four vampires are left in that nest, along with thirty-two children, younglings, mates, and familiars.
They planned to seek refuge with the Chicago nest, but it was also attacked a couple of days ago.
Fortunately, their casualties were minimal because they’d already moved their people to safety.
“Marchman sat in my office and begged for sanctuary for people from his nest—the children, younglings, familiars, and mates. He and the three remaining vampires want to know their loved ones are safe when they hunt down those responsible.” I let that hang in the air for a couple of seconds because everyone’s quiet.
“How would you feel if someone came onto our land and massacred the people you love? If we needed to move our vulnerable people to safety so those of us able to fight could do so without worrying about our loved ones? Wouldn’t you ask for help even from the least likely of people? ”
Fortunately, some of the attendees have the conscience to look a little abashed.
“As you’ve seen,” I continue, “we’re putting up storm shutters and light-proofing this building. I have granted sanctuary to the refugees from the Memphis nest.”
As I expected, that roils the crowd. I let them rumble for a few seconds before nodding to Todd and he bugles again. “Shut the fuck up and listen!”
“This is not a permanent situation,” I continue.
“The people staying with us will be children. Children. Younglings—kids who, contrary to what some of you believe, are not full-fledged vampires. And human mates and familiars. They will stay here, in this building, and we will set a perimeter sentry picket line around the building. We’ll designate one or two of their people to be the representatives who can come out to receive supplies.
Our people will not be going inside while they are here, and they will not be coming out. ”
“If they’re so harmless, why are you setting up guards?” a fox shifter yells from the audience, and people rumble low assent.
“Honestly? To make sure no one harms them.” That makes everyone fall silent.
“Am I saying I think any of you would attack kids? I hope I know all of you well enough to believe you would never do that. They aren’t vampires.
None of them will have powers where you have to worry about them skulking around and hurting you or your loved ones.
But we also don’t know for certain who attacked them.
And since I have granted them sanctuary, I am obligated to protect them. ”
“I volunteer for guard duty,” Chaz hollers from the back, and the relief that washes through me is difficult to mask.
“Thanks,” I say. “Now, they’re not arriving for several days,” I add.
“Father is working with the witches and the fae to help safely escort them here. The fact that Father is helping should tell you something. You know damned well he wouldn’t if he thought this would endanger our pack, or if he couldn’t trust them. ”
“How do you trust a vampire?” a woman yells from the crowd. I know she’s an omega wolf shifter, a mate to a guy who’s currently out of town helping his family in Texas with a cattle roundup or something.
“When a man sits in my office with tears in his eyes over the loved ones he’s lost, begging for my help when he has every right to assume I’ll turn him down, I find it hard not to at least listen. Father has dealt with him in the past and said he trusts him, and I trust Father.
“I will stay in close contact, coordinating with the witches and the fae transporting the refugees here. Once that operation is completed, then I will work with them to formulate a response to track down these fuckers and stop them before they kill again.”
“Why can’t they go to another nest?” someone calls out.
“They were, but that nest was also attacked. All the nests are now in a defensive posture and moving their people to alternate locations. They couldn’t go to the fae or witches because they were attacked too.
Their security force was wiped out in the attack, so moving them to alternate locations without adequate protection isn’t feasible. ”