"What she said."
"There has never been a mixed-species community before," I reminded her.
"And there's never been a pack willing to make its home in the middle of a modern, bustling town either," she countered. "You tackled the first, so why not the rest?"
"Rest?"
Ashley nodded. "Yeah. Bears, cats, foxes, birds... What about Gabby's covenant? I mean, wouldn't that help? We are shifters living in a world where we're bound to be discovered. A mixed-species community would give us all a chance if we're ever discovered. This place gives us protection from the hordes if they try to kill us. And, wolves are the most social of all the shifters. Sure, foxes have their... Are they skulks?"
"Yeah," I said.
She nodded and kept going. "But foxes live in smaller family groups. Wolves bring in families until the area can't support us. It only makes sense for us to handle this. We already have a social structure in place for organizing it. You, Alpha. Elena, as the community liaison. Me, for business management. We have a doctor; we have assistants to help you - the betas. It's already in place just because of our very nature. Those bears would have to start from nothing and fumble through all of it."
"And," Elena said, holding up her phone, "Bridget said that she's worked on non-wolf shifters before, but only a few. I think we need to have a little meeting and start working this out."
"When?" I asked. "You have Gabby's party next weekend."
Elena smiled at me a little too sweetly. "Tonight?"
Which was the moment that I realized this was definitely happening. She had no interest in putting this off, not even for a day. Elena felt it was serious. Ashley was on her side. I had a funny feeling that Gabby would be even more emphatic. Lane would go with anything that mattered to Elena. Seth had already made it clear that he was for integrating the other shifters. So, at best, it would be me, Pax, Trent, and possibly my father trying to stand against them.
And I knew that all of us would give in.
This was happening. One way or another, we were going to end up with bears living with us. The only question now was how to make that happen as smoothly as possible. Oh, I already knew we'd end up with mistakes, and possibly some critical ones. I only hoped that we could work it all out in theory before having to suffer through trial by fire.
"Ok," I told them both. "Ashley, you talk to Dad. Elena, tell Bridget we're going to need her expertise tonight. Let's say dinner at my house. Um, seven?"
"Dinner?" she asked.
I just nodded. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long talk, and it's not a decision I want to make on my own. Bring Gabby. Ash will bring Dad. Myself, my betas... Bridget. Who else do we need?"
"It would be easier if we could talk to the bears," Ashley admitted.
"One of them," I told her. "Probably Vic, because I get the impression that he's the one in charge."
"Largest," she corrected. "Ian, bears don't have alphas. They don't do dominance. Vic takes charge because he can, not because he's responsible. But sure, I can ask him to come alone. I can't promise he'll like it, though."
"I'm not going to pick a fight," I promised.
She just tilted her head to the side and glared at me. "Would you do it? Walk into another wolf pack without your betas at your side?"
Damn it, but she had a point. "Ok. Tell him I'd prefer he comes alone, but if he doesn't feel safe, then he can bring his... friends?"
"We're going to need a lot of food," Elena mumbled.
"You," I told her, "are not cooking. You're still recovering. I have no intention of keeping you away, but can you please take it easy?"
"Dad and I will handle the food," Ashley promised. "Trent and Pax can cook. Lane can worry about you, Elena, and Seth can explain everything to Gabby so she doesn't have a meltdown when she's face to face with the bears."
"Which means I need to at least clean my house," I grumbled. "Baby, I'm sending Lane over to spend lunch with you. Just..." I sighed. "Please don't push yourself?"
"And make sure he knows that my senses have me reacting to new things but that I'm not worried about it?" Elena nodded to show she'd guessed what I'd ask for next - although I'd planned to ask