Chapter 12
As soon as Emma and Tracy were settled, Hank went inside to find Mark and Nick, who was head of security for the entire Clan, as expected.
Mario and a few others who were much lower in the Clan hierarchy, but had been included for some reason, were also present and already in discussion with Pax and Ari.
They’d arrayed themselves around a table with the brothers and Mario on one side, everyone else on the other. Not an auspicious start.
Hank went in and deliberately sat down next to the brothers, nodding to Mario as he did so. Everyone was in human form for this meeting, and Mario had shifted, grabbing some sweats that were kept on hand for anyone wanting to prowl around the jungle then shift when they got to the mansion.
Mario had worked with the two brothers in the past. Hank was a new champion of the fraternal twin Master Chiefs, but he was definitely in favor of Pax and Ari joining the bigger Clan.
They were good men who had a lot to offer.
Hank wanted to make sure they were given the opportunity to share their gifts on a larger stage.
The meeting went on for a long time. Pax started out belligerent, and then, he switched off with his twin.
It was almost like a game to them. They even referenced the seating arrangements—the subtleties not being lost on the twins, who gave every appearance of being big muscle jocks with not much in the brain department.
Hank had learned the two cultivated that impression and were actually using it to their advantage whenever possible.
There were deep thinking minds inside those supposedly empty skulls, and the rest of the Clan needed to figure that out.
Tensions were running high as the brothers stonewalled the younger Clan members, who were the only ones speaking so far.
Hank sat back and watched the twins play the game.
Mario kept quiet, but he seemed concerned.
The folks arrayed across the table were rising to the bait Pax and Ari kept throwing out—all except for Mark and Nick, who were also sitting back and watching events unfold.
Good. At least Hank could count on those two not to be taken in by the ruse.
They were the real leaders of the Jaguar Clan.
Mark had the much more public role of Alpha, but Jaguars ran things a little differently than most other shifters.
Nick, as head of security—a modern name for an ancient position—had as much authority in his area of responsibility, but none of the public scrutiny.
“I don’t think we can work with these people, do you, Pax?” Ari said to his twin. Things had come to a head according to the brothers’ game plan. Hank was glad. Maybe now, if they could get past this turning point, they might actually accomplish something.
“If you two have finished playing games…” Hank said, throwing a wadded up piece of paper at Ari, which he batted easily aside.
Both twins turned exasperated expressions on Hank. “Why are you spoiling the fun, man?” Pax asked, disbelief written all over his face.
“You know I like a good prank better than most of you,” Hank said.
“But you’re not fooling them, guys. At least not Nick and Mark.
They see right through you, so you want to stop baiting the gullible and finally get down to business?
I’ve got a party to get ready for, and I want to look my best so I can convince a certain stubborn wolf that she belongs with me forever. ”
Ari grinned. “Well, when you put it that way.”
Pax shook his head. “Sorry, Hank. You know we just like yanking their chains. And you guys…” Pax pointed to the men flanking Nick and Mark on the other side of the table. “You made it too easy. You gonna need to look deeper at what’s in front of you if we are supposed to work together.”
“Is that possible?” Nick asked, speaking for the first time.
“You see the problems I’ve got here. I brought these guys along, because they’re not very senior, and I wanted them to get a little experience, but they’ve failed the test.” Chagrinned cat shifters now hung their heads on either side of Nick and Mark.
“But they’ll learn…if they have good teachers and examples.
I think that’s a role you two could fulfill, if you’re willing. ”
Hank saw Mario relax and the younger cats shut up while the leadership got down to brass tacks. Pax and Ari were a lot more reasonable when speaking with Mark and Nick, now that all the posturing had been put aside.
Hank left before all the I’s were dotted and T’s crossed, but he was confident that he’d done his part to get the negotiations onto the right footing.
As he’d told the others, he had to get ready for the party, and he wanted to run over to his house and make sure it was presentable.
After the party, he planned to take his mate and daughter home for the first time, and he really wanted them to stay… forever, if possible.
The party later that day was wonderful. There were a lot more baby jaguars on the island than Tracy had expected, and Emma didn’t lack for playmates around her own age. The other moms made Tracy feel at home as they discussed the ups and downs of having babies that shifted at such a young age.
The first few moments of the gathering were a little uncomfortable for Tracy.
Mark and Shelly asked her to bring Emma up front to where Hank was already waiting, next to the Alpha pair.
Then, Mark made a formal introduction of both Tracy and her baby to the gathered Clan members.
There was a brief moment of silence while everybody looked them over—or so it seemed to Tracy—before a cheer went up and folks came forward to be introduced one at a time, or in family groups.
Actually, the families were the easiest to handle.
As they came forward and the children met each other, the adults found common ground.
When enough little ones had met Emma, an older woman everyone called Abuela took them all to a quiet corner that was set up for the children with padding on the hardwood floor and plush toys to play with.
Tracy was convinced to let Emma join the other children in that area under the grandmotherly woman’s supervision, though Tracy made sure to keep Emma in sight at all times.
Her inner wolf would’ve gone a little crazy in this house full of cats if it couldn’t see her baby.
The others seemed to understand, and a clear line of sight was left between the parents and the play area.
The single cats came over to meet Tracy, once she had staked out her little area from which to watch Emma.
Hank stayed by her side and introduced everyone.
She wasn’t surprised by the way they treated him.
Universally, Hank made everyone smile, but they also respected him.
It was clear in the way the younger ones deferred to him and how those of his own generation spoke with him as an equal.
Hank might be an easygoing joker on the outside, but his Clan knew he was a capable man when it was necessary.
They counted on him. Even Mark Pepard seemed to see Hank as a trusted aide, and Tracy wondered again about Hank’s exact place in the hierarchy.
He was of an even higher rank than she’d thought, as she watched him interact with his Alpha.
They were more like friends than Alpha and subordinate.
In fact, seeing Hank’s close relationship with the Clan and with Mark made her accept more of what he’d tried to tell her before about how much the Alpha and the Clan depended on him.
It was easier to accept that he truly had been working hard for his people for the years they’d been apart.
And, it made sense that loveable, affable, skilled Hank had been the go-to guy for whatever the Clan had needed of him.
He just had a generous heart, a unique set of skills, and an easy-going disposition that made him a natural leader among his people.
Tracy was impressed with the way Mark dealt with everyone, too.
They all respected him, it was clear to see, but they also seemed to genuinely love him.
Alphas each had their own style of leadership.
Her own father was more of a disciplinarian and a father figure to the entire Pack.
Mark was more of a friend. He acted like everybody’s older brother.
Make that everybody’s very protective older brother.
She had no doubt he would come to the rescue of any one of these cats, when needed.
And it seemed like they would do the same for him. To be loved so well by one’s Clan was a gift, indeed. Most Alphas never quite achieved this kind of unity, though the good ones tried. At least, according to her father.
She had a good basis for comparison having grown up watching Joe Villalobos build his empire from the ground up.
He’d done it with compassion and love, not intimidation.
Though he was the baddest wolf in town, he never abused his power over the rest of the Pack.
He’d created something for them all to share.
He’d put the Big Wolf Pack on the map, both literally and figuratively.
They had a town, an airport and countless businesses that now supported a growing and healthy Pack.
All due to her father’s vision and the hard work of both him and the rest of the Pack.
It looked like Mark was trying to do something similar here. Only, being jaguars, they were doing it in a much more exotic way. Tracy had to shake her head. Who, other than a billionaire cat with extravagant spots, would buy an entire island? Mark didn’t seem to know the meaning of the word subtle.