more than she asked me for. She wanted an introduction to Geoffrey, and I got that for her. Tomorrow, she and I are heading out to find more about his missing wolves and her dead werecats. Considering Geoffrey told you who she is, he must have told you what was going on.”
“Yes, but none of that is the problem. You are helping a werecat—”
“You’ve been trying to convince your local werecat for months to work with you and failing,” Heath snapped, a growl ending it. “Maybe if you didn’t give out several demands and tried to find something they need or want, you might have better success. Don’t say I’m betraying our species for succeeding where you’re all failing. You’re pissing the cats off because you’re bullheaded.”
“So, what do we do? The Tribunal changed the Laws. A minor but significant change. We have to make sure these cats can’t carve paths of destruction through our packs if we’re at war without another pack and they get pulled into it.”
“We won’t,” I snapped. Heath narrowed his eyes on me. “Oh, you knew I could hear,” I told him, shaking my head. “Harrison, we won’t attack you without cause. The only reason the Law was changed was to protect me because I did the right thing.”
“You got involved,” Harrison growled. “And fuck you, Heath.”
“We were at the hotel bar together,” Heath explained mildly, but his eyes were still narrowed on me.
“To protect Carey, a human innocent. None of you understand nuance.” I shook my head, frustrated. “Don’t use werecats as your family’s personal bodyguards, and they won’t need to kill anyone in their way of protecting someone. How about that? That solves all the problems you think you’re having right there.”
“She has a point,” Heath said diplomatically. “Now, I’m not here to pick the werecat side. I’m here because a werecat needed my help. My favor to her is done. Now we’re both trying to find out what caused all the deaths out here. I’m going to help Geoffrey with his four missing wolves while Jacky looks into what killed the two local werecats and finds her brother.”
“Jabari the General,” Harrison spat. “Geoffrey is a damn idiot sometimes. He should have gotten eyes on the cat or scheduled a fucking meeting.”
“You can yell at him for that. You’re not going to give me a hard time on this, old friend. I don’t have a pack, and I don’t work with or for any of you anymore. I’m my own man. If you need anything, you know how to reach me.” Heath hung up, growling. “Geoffrey called the North American Werewolf Council, thinking they might like to know who you really are and how I’m helping you. He just so happened to call as I was texting Geoffrey about the car.”
“They can shove it,” I snapped. “They’re reactionary assholes who are passing off their own traits onto the werecats near them. We’re not going to jump up tomorrow and start a war because we feel threatened. Them, however…I could see them starting a war based solely on their own imagined slights.”
“Like I said a couple of weeks ago, Jacky…a certain supernatural reminded us we aren’t the most powerful or dangerous kids on the playground. We’d forgotten.”
I grumbled and drank my whiskey. “At least you don’t feel that way.”
“Most of the Alphas don’t, but you left quite the impression on Harrison just by telling him you were going to break the Law.” Heath snorted. “They don’t realize how different you are from the rest of your kind.”
“They better figure it out quick,” I said before tipping my head back and swallowing the last of my whiskey. “Now, I’m off to get some shut eye.”
“I’ll come up later. I want to make sure Geoffrey gets the car here.”
“All right.” I slid off my stool and walked away, exhausted. “Good luck with the wolves.”
“Good luck with the cats,” he replied. I left the bar yawning. It was such a long damn day, and tomorrow didn’t seem like it was going to be much better. I made it to my room, locked the door between my room and Heath’s, then threw all my clothing on the floor.
A shower. I need a shower.
Turning on the water, making sure it was hot, I stepped in, sighing happily as it rolled over my shoulders. I hadn’t expected what I found today. No one had expected this to be much bigger than two dead werecats, which was serious, but the idea