Tales Of The Sazi 05 - Moon's Fury (37 page)

"So, let me get this straight," he said as he sat down opposite her with a squeaking of varnished fibers and put the bottle on the other table. "The Sazi council told you that we have to share our territory with a bunch of timber wolves, and the guy you've been hanging out with is going to be our new Alpha?" She nodded and he continued. "And, there's some sort of big plot going on where raptors are stealing livestock around the valley and kidnapping young girls, including the girl—who I might mention is the same age as Gloria—that's staying with my brother…
and
that it's all somehow tied to the pack that's joining us." He held up a finger in a good enough imitation of a trite infomercial that she chuckled. "But
wait!
There's more! Just to screw things up further, the Wolven snake who was here took away the only thing that keeps you from going into heat, and the Alpha Male is
mated
to you, so he causes you to go into heat even faster because you can't keep your hands off each other…and he'll proceed
to kill
any of the pack that accidentally touches you." He raised both his arms, like some enraptured televangelist.
"Sí,
sí!
It can all be yours, for the low, low price of just—" Now he turned deadly serious and dropped his arms, and all the humor disappeared from his face. "The love and respect of your entire
familia.”

Cara let out a harsh breath and banged her fist down on the armrest. It bent downward sharply as she felt extra power flood her from the sudden anger. Would Adam be able to see this conversation now? Would he be mad at her for telling Eddie about him? "I
knew
you were going to say that! Damn it, Eddie!" She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "I don't know why I even bothered to tell you.”

His voice softened, but was no less serious. "Because you knew that I'd be the
most
receptive to the situation …unfortunately. Paco is going to go ballistic, Cara. You know that, and Rosa is going to be stuck square in the middle. You've known about this shit for a whole week—you've introduced people to us and
lied,
saying they were just visiting…and it's just
now
you're telling anyone? On the first night of the moon, when there are already new wolves here that will need to hunt with us?”

She shook her head. "I didn't lie. Not exactly—you guys would have smelled that. They
are
visiting right now. They'll just be visiting for…a really long time. And they won't need to hunt tonight. They're alphic.”

"Oh! Even better!
Rationalize
lying and then rub the Second's nose in the fact that the newcomers are better than him.
Jesus bambino!"
She felt her face redden, because she knew he was right.

"It's not fair, Eddie. I didn't have any say in this, but I'm going to take the heat for everything. We don't have any
choice!
Doesn't that count for anything?”

He ran his fingers through his short, wavy black hair and stared at the table in the corner, filled to overflowing with candles in glass jars bearing the image of the Virgin and her baby. He had more to pray about than most anyone she knew …until recently, anyway. She was pretty sure her candle count was higher this week. He started to tap one finger on his leg and she felt herself perk up a little. He was thinking his hardest when that happened and he was unusually brilliant when he started to really work on a problem. Paco couldn't believe the day when Eddie had gotten the invitation to join that club, Mensa, in the mail—only to have Eddie laugh and throw it away.
Why would I join a snooty bunch of librarians
who don't even know how to fiesta?
he'd asked.
I just took the test for fun.
After a few moments where she didn't dare even breathe for fear of breaking his concentration, he finally started to nod and a slow smile spread across his face. "Refugees.”

Cara felt her brows raise. "Excuse me?”

He flicked his gaze to her, his eyes filled with fiery intensity. "The Minnesota people. They're
refugees
—running from an insane Alpha dictator. A wolf version of Castro, and we have to take them in. We're Sazi…family. We can't turn them away. I saw the scars on Tómas …and so did Paco. If you're right and Jill is as traumatized as you say, then it could really work. You saw how Rosa was around her when they stopped by with Adam yesterday. Even your sister saw there was something haunting her. And the girls are already
hermanas
—just like sisters." He shrugged mildly. "Jenny's hair and clothes are a little Goth, but she's nice enough and offering to photograph the Quince made Paco happy—I mean,
damn!
She's had her own
gallery
showing up north! It would save him a bunch of money. It might just work.”

She brightened for a moment but then felt her heart sink. "But the Alpha is dead up there now. Why still run?”

"A pack without an Alpha is a pack headed for extinction, Cara. What sane person wouldn't run from a civil war where everyone is trying to fill the top slot?”

Refugees.
Eddie was right. That might just work. "Wow. That angle would
never
have occurred to me!" She stood in a rush of movement and bent down over him to hug his shoulders. "Thank you so much! You're the best!" A weight lifted from her and she smiled. The room seemed brighter and the air cleaner. She shook her head in amazement. Once again, he'd come through for her.

"But," he added, with worry tinging his scent, "that first hunt with
all
of them…you'll need to lay down some ground rules.”

She nodded and stepped back to take her seat again. "Already covered. Lucas said the council approved everyone in this pack remaining in their current rankings. They'll all be coming in at the bottom until things settle down.”

Eddie took a sip of beer and fingered the bottle. "That's good, but it's not what I'm worried about. Rosa was pretty ticked off when she found out how the Minnesota pack treats non-shifters.”

She reared back a little in surprise. "Which is
how?”

"They're not considered
pack
at all. They're not even
invited
to the hunt fiesta. They're like glorified babysitters who handle all the menial details, like cooking and caring for the children, while the high and mighty shifters hunt. Not only do the wolves not offer them the first deer of the hunt like we do, they don't get
any
meat. I guess Jenny was complaining to Gloria about it and Rosa caught wind of the conversation last night when the girls had a slumber party. Jenny's getting ready to change, and she hates the thought of joining …what did Rosa say again? Oh yeah, she didn't want to become like those
bourgeois elitists.”

That
was what had been bothering her—ever since the first conversation at the restaurant! He'd called the non-shifters
family members,
not pack. Yeah, that was definitely something that was going to need to be discussed. No way would people be joining her pack and not be included in everything that bound them together as Sazi! She looked at him seriously. "I'll take care of it. I promise." She happened to notice the time on her new watch—she never did find the old one, damn it!—when she reached for her beer again.

"Chingado!
I've been here for two hours already! I'm so sorry, Eddie. I've been totally monopolizing the conversation, and you were the one who called me here to talk!" She looked again at his handsome face, noticing again the puffy dark bags under his eyes, and the wet scents of sorrow and fear that seemed to hang around him like a funeral shroud. "I've been really worried about you lately. Something's been on your mind. I'm guessing it's pretty serious, or you would have already talked to Paco about it.”

He shifted his eyes away but then took a deep breath and smiled a bit. "Actually, I think I figured out a solution while we've been talking. I have a feeling it's not going to be a problem much longer." He raised his bottle in toast. "So here's to solving two
problemas
in one day!”

She laughed and took a drink. "Well, if that changes, you let me know. I'll do anything I can to help.”

His eyes filled with comradery and warmth. She really couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law, or friend. "I know you will. So, how's work? Any better? Have you checked in on Carl lately?”

She sighed and tucked both ankles under her and fought off a wave of frustration. "Let's not talk about work. Carl had another episode while I was in San Antonio. One side of his face is paralyzed now and it's really hard for him to talk—and even harder for the rest of us not to stare at him when he tries. I stopped by last evening. The doctor didn't put him in the hospital, and
thinks
he'll get the use of those muscles back eventually, but—”

Eddie grimaced.
"Ay chi!
So that means he probably won't be back before elections, huh? You gonna put your name on the ticket?”

"Hell, yes! I'm not even sure I want the job anymore, but I'm going on the ballot." At his questioning look, she continued. "I just found out from Yo that two of my deputies are having an affair…or
were.
Right now they can hardly stand to be in the same room together, so I'll have to figure out how to make their shifts opposite. I can't afford to lose either one right now. We're already down a person." Eddie opened his mouth but she held up a hand. "And no …don't suggest that Adam could apply.
¡Madre de Dios!
Can you
imagine
what that would sound like in the donut shop, now that people have seen us around town together?”

He raised his chin in sudden understanding. "Ah! Yeah, you're right about that. I wasn't thinking. So, who are the two unlucky lovebirds?”

"You didn't hear it from me, and if I hear it spread around, I'll swear to God I'll beat you bloody

—but Stephanie Dion and…
Billy,
if you can believe it!”

Eddie nearly dropped his bottle. "That racist, woman-hating son of a bitch—with
Stephanie?

Jesus bambino!
She deserves better than him! What in the world is she thinking?”

Cara nodded, still incredulous at the revelation. But Stephanie had finally confirmed it when cornered. No wonder Elliot had been avoiding looking at them. He was friends with them both and probably stuck in the middle— hearing both sides and trying to avoid
taking
sides. She still couldn't believe she hadn't noticed, hadn't smelled any attraction. Then again, maybe it wasn't a matter of attraction.

"I don't know how it started, and I don't want to. I'm just hoping if I can keep them apart for awhile, maybe it'll settle down." They shook their heads at nearly the same speed, and it let her take a deep breath. "Oh hey, I nearly forgot. I got lucky on one front, so the day's not a total loss. I had a long chat with Rick Seguin. Remember I told you I thought he was sneaking around my back to make me look bad?" Eddie nodded. "Well, turns out he was actually trying to cut me a break. He's been telling everybody that
I've
been doing the stuff he's been doing, like setting meetings and shit, in hopes people will think I'm on top of things …and maybe accept me as the permanent sheriff." She paused and then stood up. "Well, I should probably be going. I need to get the barn ready for the hunt tonight and then stop by Rosa's. You sure you don't need to talk about anything?”

He shook his head and stood up, picking up his tall-crowned straw cowboy hat in the process.

"Nah. I've got to get moving, too—I have a few things to do before the hunt.”

She pointed at him seriously. "Not a word to Paco. Okay?" He held up one hand while putting on his hat with the other. "I won't even be seeing him before the hunt. I'll be going in the other direction."

"Well, i think you're being too hard on yourself, Alpha." Jill took another sip of canned ice tea and leaned closer to Tommy. She'd been needing to touch him almost constantly since the battle—maybe to prove to herself that he wouldn't push her away. She let out a small sigh when her husband put his arm around her and kissed her hair lightly. "Cara seems like a perfectly reasonable woman and she's obviously crazy about you. I don't think she'll react nearly as badly as you think.”

Adam leaned back into the motel's chair and sighed. He understood now why Lucas had selected this motel. The thick, adobe walls allowed them to speak freely without anyone outside the room being able to hear—unless they were standing right at the door. He'd discovered it just this morning, when Tommy told him Jill had been up crying all night again. He hadn't heard a thing, even though he hadn't been sleeping either. "I should have just told her. It was the perfect time. But I chickened out.”

Tommy shrugged. "It's not like you had any choice in the matter either. And it's not the
whole
group that'll be here tomorrow. Just Mike and Sheila. They were the only alphas who could travel on the full moon.”

"And Cherise," Adam corrected. "Even if she's only going to stay a few days, long enough to talk to the people at the economic development board, she still needs to hunt. But that's still
six
people, which just about doubles Cara's current pack. I can't
believe
Lucas would decide to do that!”

Jill's expression was worried, but the scent wasn't much different from the profound sadness that masked her normal flowery aroma. "Is there maybe somewhere else we could hunt this month …just
our

pack, that is?”

"This
is
our pack now, sweetie. We're not part of the Minnesota pack anymore." Tommy's voice was gentle, but it still had a startling effect. She jerked as though struck and started to shake. Tommy closed his eyes and pulled her head closer to his chest. "It's going to be okay, Jill. You'll see.”

She broke into sobs that nearly tore out Adam's heart. "But I can't
feel
them anymore, Tom. They're all gone, and I'm…alone!" She touched his face with trembling hands. "I mean, you're here. I can see you, but I
can't feel
you anymore. I can't tell if you
really
forgive me, like I always could before. I didn't mean to hurt you. I have to feel you again.”