think?”
She closed her eyes for a moment. Nala noticed Roman did the same. She looked to Colin, pulling together her brows. Nap time?
Grace opened her eyes, the violet in them glowing. “The memories of our elders are vast. It takes concentration sometimes.”
She cringed, having forgotten that her King and Queen could read her mind. She took a deep breath and held it in as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
They opened their eyes. “Proceed as you have. If any Lycans dare threaten the cohabitation with other species, they are to be excommunicated. It sends a solid message that we are moving forward as a cohesive society. There’s a risk of creating animosity, or even more separatists. But we cannot allow threats to hold us back.” Grace took a deep breath. “You’ve done the right thing. Hopefully Richard and Trina will come to see the error in their judgement.”
Roman cleared his throat. “We will look into the Scottsboro pack. Like you, Nala, I do not trust my sister or her husband. The Chicago pack prescribes to the hostile takeover method of expanding their packs’ territory. She’ll not be content with her mate as Beta for long. Make no mistake, their pack is greedy and money hungry. Scottsboro is very humble in comparison to Chicago. They’ve been far from nature for entirely too long.”
Grace patted Roman’s hand. “It’s okay. I’ll say it.” She turned her attention to Nala. “Should she challenge you again, show no mercy. Do not hold back for fear of my mate’s feelings. No quarter.”
“Are we maintaining an Alpha challenge as a no quarter competition?” Colin’s voice cracked a bit toward the end.
Grace stood. “There’s no reason it has to be,” she paused and looked to Nala, “but it’s unlikely someone will accept if you concede. There are many that are unhappy with a female as Alpha, Nala. You have to know this. You will be challenged and they will want to fight to the death to be certain all other females know their place.”
Her stomach flopped. She already knew this to be true, it was no surprise. Hearing from the queen was a different matter entirely.
“And if she were with child?” Colin’s voice was raspy, as if he choked on his words.
“The Beta may take her place,” Roman interjected, “the same as when an elderly Alpha is challenged.”
That didn’t bode well. Nala’s choices were to risk her life and the life of her would-be pup or her brother-in-law. How could she have put Colin in this position? Avoiding her mate’s gaze, she looked to Wendy, the life growing inside of her. She wanted to same but that desire was selfish.
“Rest assured, we will be bringing this issue before FOSE. They need to get the new laws and repercussions in order so we all know how to proceed. This far, most of this has fallen on Grace and while my queen is smart and resourceful, she hasn’t all of the answers.” Roman winked at Grace.
“That’s what you think!” The playful tone in Grace’s voice had calmed Nala to some extent, but she had more questions than answers. More dread. More fear. More concern for Colin.
The meeting took on a casual tone as Zoltar began pouring wine. Grace had prepared plates of fruit, cheese, crackers, and sausage ahead of time. Wendy sipped at iced tea, shooting smiles at Colin whenever he glanced her way.
Nala cleared her throat. “I was wondering if my new sister-in-law would be up for a walk?”
Wendy grinned as she placed her tea on the table. “Are you kidding me? I’m surrounded by unbelievable amounts of testosterone every day. I’d love some girl time.”
“Not alone!” Zoltar’s jaw flexed and he gripped the armrests of his chair.
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Z, it’s broad daylight and the whole herd is out today. Nala’s a warrior. She’s not going to let one hair on my head succumb to damage.” She shook her head. “Honestly, it’s like having a nursemaid on my heel twenty-four-seven.” She walked over to
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