Chapter 26
THE REAL WOLVES OF NEW YORK
“Thought that would never end,” Mason says as we hang in the expansive reception area outside the boardroom. Yet more stunning views of Manhattan surround us and black marble floors glitter beneath our feet.
Jasper is across the way shaking hands with Morven. Mia and Olivia are nearby. Salazar, Tobias, Mason’s dad, and the Rocky Pack gamma wolf are in a huddle, still going over the plans we just agreed on.
“Those men sure can chitchat,” I reply.
After I suggested using my abilities to trick Walter into thinking our forces and Jericho are in separate locations, the meeting dragged on for another couple of hours, with Jasper and the other high-ranking wolves examining every detail of the plan with a fine-tooth comb.
It’s all very necessary and important but after my little bit of input I started to feel pretty superfluous.
“Got to triple-check those boxes.” Mason grins and we both share a quiet laugh.
“So.” I whack his shoulder. “How have you been?”
Although we speak all the time, texts and calls, I haven’t seen Mason in the flesh for over a year at this point.
He shrugs, gaze darting to the floor. “Oh you know, fine, fine.”
“Great that Morven’s had a one-eighty on the whole Mia and Olivia thing.”
“Yeah.” He doesn’t sound so pleased.
“What is it?”
“After she ran away, we kept in touch a little, but eventually my dad got suspicious and so she stopped. I haven’t really spoken to her in a while.”
“That sucks.”
“Yeah, and like, I get why she left, but she also left me there as the only queer wolf in the high-ranking families.”
“Does your dad know or are you still . . . ?” I trail off, not wanting to overstep.
“Closeted?” he asks. “Oh yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s whatever, I figure there’s no point making a big song and dance until I’ve at least found a mate, or like my first non-fated-for-life boyfriend.”
“That’s fair. Is he on board with Mia and Olivia?”
Mason stares over at his father with squinty eyes. “Not sure. He seems cool about it, but that could simply be because his alpha commands it so.”
“Right.”
Things seem to be wrapping up with Mason’s dad and Salazar, they shake hands and while Salazar heads toward Morven and Olivia, Mason’s dad approaches us.
“We’re heading back to the pack, son,” he says, his voice deep and raspy.
Mason looks shocked. “Already?”
“We’ve got to rally our forces and get them situated at the Elite Pack retreat. Say your goodbyes, it’s time to go.”
He doesn’t wait, just turns and heads for the door, tapping his alpha on the shoulder on the way.
Mason shoves his hands in his pockets. “Guess I’ve been given my commands too.”
“It’s good to see you,” I say. “And I’ll see you at the retreat, before all this”—I gesture vaguely, waving my hand through the air—“gets going.”
“See you.”
Mason turns and sulks off after his dad.
Morven, Salazar, Mia, and Olivia aren’t far behind.
I guess the parents are meeting. Olivia looks back over her shoulder as she heads for the elevator, and I give her an encouraging smile.
The other men disappear into a room, probably going over the logistics of this pretty major plan some more, and Jasper, finally alone, comes to speak with me.
“All set?” I ask.
Jasper thinks for a moment, tilting his head to his shoulder then shaking it. “It’s still a long shot, but it’s the best chance we’ve had since this whole thing began.”
“You think we can actually win?”
“I don’t know. I’d feel better if the rogues were standing with us but . . . guess this’ll have to do.”
He stares at my chest, his hands closing into loose fists.
“You okay?”
“I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I? What if moving my father is the wrong decision? What if . . .”
“Hey.” I take his face in both my hands. “Don’t do that, you’ll drive yourself crazy. You’re doing what you think is best and all those very important, very powerful wolves in there agreed with you. It’s like you said, best shot we got, right?”
Jasper puts both his arms around me and pulls me a little closer.
“I’m just glad you’ll be there with me.”
I pull my head back a little and stare at his face. He crinkles his brow.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I say, shaking my head and beginning to grin. “It’s just not that long ago you probably would have wanted me to be anywhere but near a war zone.”
He chuckles to himself, then his expression turns serious.
“I trust you, Max. You’re more powerful than any of the wolves in that room.
You’re the linchpin to making this whole thing work.
And . . . and you’re my strength too. I used to think I was better off not being distracted worrying about you, but .
. . but actually you’re the reason I’m going to fight and win this war. You’re the reason for everything.”
Okay, now I’m starting to well up. I have nothing left to say so I plant a kiss on his lips.
“We’re heading upstate in the morning,” he says when we’re done smooching.
“I’ll be here,” I say. “Tonight I should probably hang with my parents. You might trust me in a battle zone, but I think they might still have some concerns.”
“Fair enough. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll see you in like twelve hours.”
He leans forward and whispers again, “I’ll miss you.”
I melt in his arms.
Before I head home, I need to speak with Omar and let him know the plans. I hope he’ll stick with us and join the fight.
Panting, I trek up the stairs to Aisha’s apartment, where she’s graciously letting Omar stay while he’s still in town. The door swings open with a creak and Aisha waves me in.
“How’d it go at the war council?” she asks, a little coolly.
I know she and Jasper have made up, but I can also tell things aren’t as copacetic when it comes to her feelings about the pack and violence.
“There’s a plan,” I say, and Omar, who is sitting on the couch playing some video game with Troy, looks up.
There’s the sound of an explosion from the TV and Troy jumps out of his seat.
“Yes! Eat my dirt rogue boy!”
Aisha and I stare at Troy, wondering where this reaction came from.
But Omar seems unfazed, and says, “Ay, I was distracted. I’ll kick your ass in a rematch.”
“You’re on,” Troy says, clicking through the menu screens of whatever car-racing game they’re playing.
“In a bit, in a bit,” Omar says, leaving the couch. “I got to hear what this plan is first.”
Aisha heads to the kitchen, so I follow her, and Omar does the same, we sit up at the counter while she goes about making tea.
“It’s actually better if I don’t say too much,” I tell Omar. “Part of it is me using my powers to trick Walter.”
“Is that safe?” Aisha asks, hitting the switch on her kettle.
“No,” I say. “But right now none of us are safe, so . . . I’ve got to do something.”
“You sure you’re up to getting all up in Walter’s headspace after what happened at the Pixies’?” Omar asks.
Aisha turns, looking both confused and furious. “Wait, what happened at the Pixies’? And who the fuck are the Pixies?”
“That’s who Olivia and Mia were staying with, they’re like an activist commune.”
“And Walter got in your head?” Aisha asks.
“Yes, but only because I wasn’t prepared.” At this I turn back to Omar. “Which is why I need your help.”
He looks skeptical. “You can’t tell me the plan, but you need my help?”
“I—yes.”
I stare at him with big, hopeful, pleading eyes and to my relief, he nods.
“Anything you need, Cuz, I’m there.”
Aisha has turned back to the line of mugs where she’s now pouring boiling water over tea bags, but still, we hear her scoff.
“What is it?” I ask.
She turns and hands us both a mug of steaming herbal tea.
“You’re a rogue,” she says to Omar. “And you’re going to help a pack fight another pack.”
“They’re not just hurting the packs,” he says in return. “They’ve been going after rogues as well. As far as I’m concerned this is everyone’s fight.”
“I wish the rest of the rogues felt the same,” I say, blowing on my too-hot tea.
Aisha is holding her cup in one hand, pressing the other into the counter. “Makes perfect sense to me,” she says. “These packs are always fighting and nothing seems to get better.”
“But we can’t just let Walter win,” I say.
“If it isn’t Walter, it’ll be someone else.”
She sips her tea and doesn’t look me in the eye.
“You don’t believe that.”
She doesn’t respond.
“Come on, you think Jasper is just like Walter? He’s not even like his dad.
He could . . . I don’t know . . . I think he could really change things.
” Aisha is looking at me sideways, as if she’s fighting an unconscious urge to clap back but stopping herself because maybe, just maybe, I’ve hit on something true. “Isn’t that worth fighting for?”
“You asking me to come with you too? To some undisclosed location and give my life up for a pack that turned its back on me?”
“I hoped I wouldn’t have to ask.”
Her eyes glisten with the first glimmer of tears. Gently, she places her mug on the counter.
“I’m sorry, Max,” she says. “I can’t.”
Leaving her tea, and us gaping at her in shock, she passes through her living room and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
For a second, I stare at the closed door. When this all started, I never could have imagined I’d end up friends with the Aisha Miller. And now, well, her closed door speaks volumes.
“I’m sorry,” Omar says.
I shrug. “It’s fine, I get it.”
“So, you can’t tell me where we’re going. What about this mind trick?”
Quietly, I lay out what I can of the plan, telling Omar that I need his help with the ritual to help me enter the Lunar Plane. He agrees and I tell him we’ll pick him up in the morning. Aisha doesn’t come back out before I head home to say goodbye to my parents.
The porch light is on when I get home, having Ubered back from the station. Maybe I need to get my own set of wheels, I’ve gotten used to zipping around in Jasper’s. Though of course they’re now parked safely in the basement of the packhouse.
I head inside and find my parents watching TV.
“Hey kiddo,” Mom says.
“Hey,” I say, lingering in the doorway.
They’re snuggled together on the sofa, a blanket over their legs. They look cute, cozy, bathed in the warm light of the TV and the dim glow of a nearby lamp.
“What are you watching?” I ask.
“Just some trashy reality show,” Dad says. “It’s strangely captivating though.”
“Got room for one more?” I ask.
They both look at me a little strangely, like they’re not used to me asking to be let under their blanket, like they’re used to me running off and getting into trouble and not asking to spend time with them.
I think in this moment something unsaid but important passes between all three of us, some understanding that come tomorrow things might change for good. But that tonight, we just want to sit together as a family, snuggled on the sofa, and pretend like life will always be this way.
Dad shifts so there’s a space between them and Mom lifts the corner of the blanket so I can get under.
“Lisa just cheated on her boyfriend with Melanie’s husband,” he says, gesturing at the screen while I figure out how to position the cushions so they aren’t sticking into my back.
“Wild,” I say, nestling in and feeling the warmth of them on either side of me, holding me like cozy bookends, at least for one more night.