family time. I appreciate you being willing to join me.”
There’s a ripple of responses from the group, indicating none of them found it to be a hardship. I can see how they respect him and look up to him—it’s visible in the way they watch him, their gazes never wavering. They don’t fiddle with their hands or glance at their watches. They give him their undivided attention, listening attentively, and it’s one of the most beautiful displays of leadership I’ve ever seen.
Plus, I barely even recognize the calm, clear, professional tone Trystan’s pulled out of his back pocket for the occasion. I’m so busy watching him woo them that I hardly listen to the words he speaks. He smiles at the right moments. Gestures with his hands and laughs at himself when he trips over his own words once. He shines with charisma, and the longer he talks, the more every man and woman in the room begins to nod along with him.
It’s when he brings up the children that they really jump on board. Every one of them straightens and leans in, and the movement is so obvious that it snaps me out of my affectionate daydream.
“Right now, in the history of our pack, we have more children than ever before,” Trystan is saying as I zero in on him. “The past few years have been good to our people because we paid such close attention to ourselves. Our own safety. Our own needs. Our pack numbers have nearly doubled in five years’ time, and the new generation carries the promise of our future survival. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative we keep them safe.”
These aren’t even entirely new ideas he’s laying out. A lot of these points were made at the meeting last night. But I get the feeling that it all sounds different to the gathered shifters now, because it’s coming from a man they respect—and it’s obvious to everyone in the room that Trystan believes in what he’s saying one hundred percent.
“I know the idea of uprooting our lives seems daunting,” my mate goes on, his expression turning serious. “But I’d like to remind you, we’ve done it before. Fifty-two years ago, when my grandfather was alpha of this pack, we relocated from a barren plain halfway across the state to our current location here in the mountains. And it wasn’t an easy decision then either. But change, no matter how difficult, is often necessary. I truly believe it’s time for us to embrace a new future where all our local packs don’t just work together out of obligation, but because we want to. Because together, we will become stronger. Better. Safer.”
I didn’t need convincing that the packs staying together was the right thing to do, but if I had needed it, this would have won me over.
I almost expect the group to burst into enthusiastic applause as he finishes his speech. The way they’ve been listening so intently that some of them haven’t even blinked in a while. Instead, they glance around at each other as if snapping out of a haze, and then one by one, they look back at Trystan and begin to nod.
“In conclusion,” he says, “I hope you’ll join me in convincing the rest of our pack that the right move for us is to join forces with the East and North Packs. Can I count on you?”
“It’s unprecedented.” A woman speaks up. She’s older, a grandmother maybe, with white hair and delicate lines beside her shrewd blue eyes. But she speaks with much more authority than I expected for a woman in a pink cardigan and sensible white tennis shoes. “As such, I doubt it will be easy. However, I’d like to throw my support behind you, Trystan. You’ve been the driving force behind our pack thriving these past few years, and I have no doubt you’ll continue to lift us to even greater heights.”
“I have to agree,” one of the younger men says, nodding vehemently. “I’m honestly nervous about the idea, but if we can pull it off, I’m excited to see where it takes us.”
A warm flutter works its way through my belly as I watch Trystan smile and thank his people. They chat a few moments more, discussing ways to approach the conversation and building a somewhat grassroots campaign meant to change the whole pack’s mind.
When the meeting adjourns, I expect Trystan to be elated with the results—unanimous consent to help him spread the word and convince