"Next on our agenda is the vet clinic situation," she began, her tone serious. "As Troy and I will be appearing on national television, the clinic will inevitably become a focal point. That's going to be happening this weekend, so that's when things here are going to get real, folks. We'll certainly be a magnet for shifters seeking help, but unfortunately, we're also going to be a magnet for humans reacting… goodorbad… to the public reveal."
There were rustles about the room, expressions of concern on every face as they absorbed that.
"We're setting up a triage system at the clinic," Katerina continued. "We'll have designated contacts for clinic staff to reach out to local shifters if needed, or the Djinn in case of emergency. This way, we can manage the influx of people and potential issues more efficiently."
Remi raised his hand. "I'd like to be on that contact list too," he offered. "And don't forget, I know most of Lord Damien's vampire clan for the last four hundred years. I can be a local liaison if you need one."
Katerina nodded, typing madly on her laptop. "That's great, we'll have three Djinn in the immediate area for emergencies… Jacinth, Arthur, and Remi. We have Remi to act as liaison with the vampires, and Jake is our liaison with the wolf pack who, along with the vampires, will be providing security."
Pausing in her typing, Katerina lifted her head and addressed the group once more. "Does anyone have any final concerns for now?"
Heads shook, and she smiled in clear relief. "In that case, we can wrap things up here. Hold onto any additional thoughts or concerns for our next session, unless they're time-sensitive or require immediate action."
Jake raised his hand, catching their attention. "Before we head out, we should share our contact details with each other."
"Oh! That's right." Katerina said. "We're also putting together a comprehensive roster of shifters who plan to reveal themselves, complete with their home addresses, how to reach them, and where they work. Jake, you'll be one of the first to get the roster once we have it put together."
She glanced down at her notes one final time, then lifted her hands.
"That's all we have for now," she announced. "I'll contact everyone about our next meeting, which will probably happen once the vampire contingent arrives from Manhattan." She paused, a slight tension visible in her shoulders. "Before I go on national television."
The energy in the room shifted as people began gathering their things. Harper closed her laptop and slipped it into her bag. Around her, others were rising from their seats, many stopping to thank Angus for hosting. The tall innkeeper accepted their gratitude with quiet dignity, his deep voice rumbling responses that Harper couldn't quite catch.
Reyna stirred within her.Good meeting. Help new pack.
Harper agreed with her fox as she stood up, moving to help Angus gather the empty coffee mugs and plates of half-eaten cookies. Harper found herself smiling. She'd expected to feel overwhelmed, but instead, she felt invigorated, and hopeful, and… well… just happy.
Handing Angus a stack of plates, she smiled warmly. "Thank you for hosting us, Angus."
The innkeeper nodded, his eyes twinkling. "It's my pleasure, Harper. It's good to see the community coming together like this."
"I agree."
As the room quieted and the last of the guests filtered out, Harper's thoughts drifted to Nathan. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she imagined his reaction when she told him about vampires being real. They'd talked extensively about shifters and Djinn, so she was pretty sure he didn't know about vampires, or he'd have mentioned it.
This was going to blow his mind!
It had been over a week since she'd found out herself, and she was still in shock about it. Vampires! Who would have thought she'd actually get to meet one? Well, some. She couldn't wait to tell him, he was going to die. Simply die. She snickered silently.
With a final glance around the now-empty room, Harper waved to Angus, and headed up to her room, her mind still buzzing with the events of the morning, and feeling an admittedly gleeful anticipation of her next conversation with Nathan.
Chapter 17
Harper boundedup the stairs to her room, keys jingling as she unlocked the door. Her fingers were already pulling up Nathan's contact info before she'd even kicked off her shoes.
The phone rang twice before his warm voice answered. "Hey beautiful. How was the meeting?"
"It was amazing!" Harper curled up in the window seat, tucking her feet under her. "So much happened - we're organizing different committees, and I volunteered to help with resettlement since I know what it is to have to start over, plus I can assist with financial planning." Her words tumbled out in excitement.
Nathan's chuckle warmed her heart. "Slow down, sweetheart. I want to hear everything."
"There's so much to tell you." Harper watched a moth flutter against the window pane. "And some of it might really surprise you. Would you like to meet for lunch later? I'd rather share the bigger news in person."
"Absolutely. Would one o'clock work?"
"Perfect." Harper's stomach growled, reminding her she'd skipped dinner. "How about Mexican? I'm craving tacos."
"I know a great place, Casa Rivera?" Nathan suggested. "They have an outdoor patio, we'd have privacy to talk more openly than inside."
