Chapter 14
Austin
He held his breath to keep from laughing.
His dig hadn’t been very subtle…but Jess had just gone and slapped the generational alphas in the face.
What was more, it was clear she wasn’t trying to rile them up.
She wasn’t showboating. She was pissed and annoyed and at the end of her tether.
All her work with the gargoyles had eaten away her patience, it seemed.
At this point, she needed people to get with the times or get out of the way.
If he’d been trying for a traditional way to go about this, she would’ve just blown all that to hell. Good thing he wasn’t.
Judging by the nodding and smiling gargoyles, that had been right in line with what they wanted to hear. She was finally speaking their language.
Austin put out his hands with a smile. “In a nutshell. But please, I’m sure you’re hungry.
Let’s finish introductions and head into dinner.
Every table has a member of the convocation.
You can ask questions. All week you can ask questions.
You can get a feel for things. You can see what magic can really do.
In the end, if you’re unsure, or simply don’t want to, don’t unite.
Simple. And then, yes, if you need us to show up and kick ass, you will need to get out of the way. ”
Jess put her hand on Austin’s shoulder and another out to the crowd.
“If you can help, and are valuable, of course we want your say and your input. Of course we want your help and expertise and guidance. We want to work together. We have no egos here. We have only the need to get our people out of this alive.”
And just like that, she deflated the bravado from the moment before.
She showed her sincerity and the truth in her desire to do this for the good of all.
Austin could say it, and maybe Kingsley could sell it, but Jess made them feel it.
That was the magic of binding people together.
She didn’t just care about all of them surviving—she could make them see it, and believe it, and trust in it.
“Shall we do the introductions?” he asked her.
She clasped her hands and half turned for him to continue.
He introduced Tristan and the guardians, many of whom had come from the assembled cairns.
There was clapping and waves and razzing from the gargoyles about switching cairns.
The shifters were getting a crash course on how expressive they were.
Next was Sue, and he didn’t explain the name. He postured like an alpha, and Austin noticed the surprise from a great many in the crowd. A normal alpha would call Sue down. Austin just moved on in complete confidence. He didn’t bring Aljoe forward yet, looking instead at Jess.
“My crew is excellent in battle,” she began with a sheepish smile, “but we’re still working on a cohesive line for these show-and-tell moments shifters like so much.”
Another dig, and she didn’t seem to know it. Aljoe was probably holding back laughter as well.
She introduced Ulric and Jasper, noting that they were the best at anticipating her in the air, and so they needed a special place on her team. She had many that anticipated her, but this gave them honors, staving off the embarrassment of not being in the guardian line.
She got through the others and then to Hollace and Cyra, whom everyone would be the most curious about.
“If you both wouldn’t mind?” she said.
They walked toward the edge of the grass as she explained Hollace’s size and need for space.
“What does he do?” one of the gargoyles asked.
Hollace flew over everyone. Thunder rolled against the mountains…and then the lightning came. It struck with pinpoint accuracy—hopefully—barely missing people as he sailed by.
“Holy—” The gargoyle who’d asked the question grinned like a fool. “I’m a little jealous.”
“And Cyra, the phoenix.” Jess put her hand out as Cyra pushed into the sky. “She better not blast them,” she muttered. “You never know what she’s going to do.”
Amazingly, she didn’t. Cyra shot fire through the air, a big burst of it. She rolled and flames tumbled after her. Finally, she and Hollace came back to the ground and got back in line.
“What happened to Dave?” Gerard asked.
“Dave is also playing host.” Jess held up her arms. “Please meet our extended family.”
Two long rows of basajaunak stepped forward from the trees, suddenly visible.
The Elder, the leader of the group of elder basajaunak and one of the leaders of the overall family as a whole, had braids and feathers and other accents up and down her body, which many of those that came with her echoed in a less flashy fashion.
Some gargoyles startled, not knowing they were there, and trotted away.
Some from Gerard’s cairn clapped or waved, remembering some of them from the battle at Kingsley’s.
Shifters went unnaturally still. Having not seen Dave, they’d probably thought that the basajaunak part of the rumors were hearsay. The convocation had a phoenix, fine, but that was as exciting as it got.
This, though…
They didn’t just have Dave. They didn’t even have just Dave’s mom.
They had elders, a Chief Elder at that. Austin himself wasn’t sure he could handle her.
This magical species seemed to get faster and more powerful the older they got, something he’d never heard.
But seeing the Elder kick Cyra when they first arrived… Well, that had put manners into him.
Actually, maybe that was why Cyra didn’t blast fire—she didn’t want to accidentally set any of them off.
“They are part of the convocation and will help us keep order this week.” Jess turned her smile their way.
“They are an absolute joy and pleasure to be around. Until they’re angry, obviously.
That is somewhat terrifying. If you’re fighting when you shouldn’t be, it would be best to stop before one of them has to make you stop.
Trust me, it’ll work out better for you that way. ”
Gerard laughed, nodding.
“In town, we also have garhettes armed with potions,” Jess went on. “We have a great many ways to keep order within our town, and we will use them. This is the last warning.”
She looked at Austin. His turn.
Butterflies went through his middle.
He put up his hand for the back row. “Aljoe, if you can please introduce yourself and your team?”
Sebastian, who’d been introduced as himself and not Elliot Graves, wiggled his fingers. The magic covering Aljoe’s face melted away. His team formed a line beside him and a few gasps came from the crowd. Shock bled through Armendale’s face.
“Hello,” Aljoe said with a glint in his eyes.
“My name is Aljoe now, but I was formerly known as Yazanth Golden Fang. My sisters were kind enough to keep the knowledge of my whereabouts secret. I left the pack to them, trusting in their excellent leadership. After wandering, as rogues often do, not finding a place to settle, as powerful rogues often don’t, I accepted a place as a beta in Austin Steele’s convocation.
I handle a special unit here, and I’m allowed to shape and mold them as I choose, fitting into the whole as the rest of the packs and cairns do.
I’ve had an opportunity to work with and monitor Austin closely, and I’ve concluded that he is doing something special.
Paired with Jessie, they are doing something I couldn’t do myself, and they are incredible.
They have my full trust—a leadership I am proud to follow. ”
Austin schooled his expression, stopping the surprise from showing.
He hadn’t realized Aljoe planned to give Austin a glowing review and hadn’t ever even mentioned that he didn’t think he could do it himself.
That was not something an alpha of Yazanth’s stature would often admit to themselves, let alone others.
Jess smiled at Aljoe and put a hand on his arm. “Oops, sorry. I forgot about the shifter no-touching rule.” She pulled her hand away again. “That’s nice, though. I’m happy you decided to stay.”
No one would think it was a gimmick or sales tactic with Jess so obviously affected. It was actually a great thing that they hadn’t tried harder to hide her expressiveness.
“My second is Aurora Barazza, Kingsley’s daughter.
” Aljoe turned to her. “Already impeccably trained and now starting to shine. She’ll be as brutal as I am, but with a lot more polish.
” He went on to the others, giving each of their accolades.
Most had been enforcers high up in the hierarchy, and some had been the siblings of alphas without the desire to start something new.
Most hadn’t believed in the leadership in the pack they’d been in.
All were powerful, and they now answered to Aljoe, proving his power and leadership, and he, in turn, showed Austin’s.
When they were done, he was lost for words. A phoenix, a family of basajaunak, including elders, and now Golden Fang and his collection of powerful rogues…all vouching for him. He felt like he was in a dream, and it had all started with the love of a good woman.
Now was not the time to be sentimental, though. Sentiment would not sway Armendale. That guy liked his perch, and he’d figure out a way to keep it.
Aljoe
“Since when do betas get to sit in on an alpha dinner, I wonder?” someone murmured, the voice sounding distinctly like Armendale’s. The responder grunted in acknowledgment.
Aljoe wanted to laugh out loud. What sort of fool would call into question his right to be at this dinner? Sue’s right, either—he’d also once held the title and position. Tristan might not have had the title, but he had the training, power, and ability.
As if hearing Armendale, even though he was on the other side of the large room, Austin addressed everyone.