Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Taking the cigar from his mouth, Morelli shifted in his seat, making his leather vest creak. “Well, damn, if it isn’t Trey Coleman. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time.” He ran his gaze along Dante, Dominic, and Trick. His eyes lit up. “Ah, it’s the YouTube hero. I’ve heard plenty about you. One of my wolves knows you. He says you can be brutal when the situation calls for it. That’s why he found it so damn funny that the humans see you as a hunky hero.”
The wolf was right, but Trick said nothing.
Morelli cut his gaze to Trey. “I always admired the way you challenged your old man. I heard enough to know he was a total prick and earned that beating you gave him. People don’t always get what they deserve. It’s refreshing when someone does.”
Trey didn’t react. Just watched the other Alpha, expression blank. It didn’t seem to discourage Morelli at all. His wide grin remained in place.
“I sure do like your territory,” said Morelli. “I mean, I haven’t been able to see a lot of it, since you have that big fence and all. But it’s vast and well protected. I heard you actually live inside one of the mountains. Is that true?”
“If you’re planning on challenging me to take over my pack and seize my territory, it won’t end well for you,” Trey warned.
Morelli took a pull on his cigar and then blew out a puff of smoke, tainting the collective scents of sun-warmed grass and flowering trees. “I’ll admit, the thought did cross my mind. But like I said, I admire how you dealt with your old man. Leaving the pack to create your own—that takes guts. Let’s face it, it wouldn’t be smart of me to take on a male whose wolf turns feral during battle. Not to mention that you’re very well connected. The Mercury Pack in particular would seek revenge on anyone who brought harm to you or yours. I don’t want them on my ass any more than I want a feral wolf chewing a chunk out of my wolf’s ass.”
“Why did you ask for a meeting?”
“Not real friendly, are you, Trey? Can I call you Trey?”
“No.”
Morelli chuckled, seeming delighted. “Damn, I like you. As for why I wanted this meeting . . . It’s quite simple, really. I’d like to propose an alliance.”
“Would you,” said Trey, his tone even.
“I feel it would benefit us both.”
“Here’s the thing. I don’t like your methods of expanding your pack. I don’t like the rumors I’ve heard about how your Beta here”—Trey tipped his chin at Drake—“deals with people. Your enforcers are constantly causing disruptions at bars and clubs and pool halls. That means either you don’t have control of your pack, or you don’t care what they do. Either way, that’s not the kind of Alpha I want to ally myself with.”
Morelli heaved a sigh. “That’s disappointing, Trey. Really. I’d hoped we could be friends. It’s good to have friends.” He stubbed out his cigar on the table. “It’s true that I don’t police my pack much. But if I wanted a flock of sheep, I’d have bought a farm. We’re shifters, Trey. We have a wildness inside us that humans will never understand. Why should we tone it down and pretend to be what we’re not? Don’t you see that it makes us seem weak to the humans? It’s the same principle as when you’re dealing with a spoiled kid. If you don’t ignore their little outbursts and just carry on as normal, they’ll keep on having them. You can’t show them mercy or give in; if you do, they’ll see you as weak, and they won’t respect you.”
“You’re saying you don’t police your pack because you think letting them do what they like will earn you people’s respect?” asked Trey. “Let’s go back to the spoiled kid analogy. You got this spoiled kid—let’s call him Drake—who has some serious issues. If his parents don’t guide or temper or insist on his respect, he’ll do whatever the fuck he wants and they won’t have his respect.”
Morelli looked at his Beta. “You respect me, don’t you, Drake?”
Still grinning, Drake said, “Of course I do, Alpha.”
Morelli nodded at Trey, satisfied. “There you go.” He rubbed at his jaw. “This PR work . . . there’s no point to it. Humans will never fully accept us. Never. There will be a war between us and them sooner or later. No matter what we do or how cuddly we try to look, it will come. Maybe the extremists will lead it, maybe the government will lead it. Shit, maybe our own kind will start it—I don’t know. But it will come. And you know what, Trey? We’ll be easy pickings, and I’ll tell you why that is. It’s because we won’t unite. We won’t go out and fight as one. We’ll hang back and defend our territories and our vulnerable members—it’s instinct. That’s why we’ll lose.”