I shake my head a little. “We don’t seem to have covered all the areas we need to run the town. We don’t have commerce, trade, transport—”
“We’re working on it,” Hazel reassures me. “But it’s not something we ever did before.”
“But you had produce and trade,” I point out. “Once the treaty was struck with Rose Hollow, there was a supply chain immediately, and there’s a transit route out to the human world.”
“We did all that through private companies,” Hazel explains. “Azarian said that competition was good for growth. It created a hell of a class shift, and business at the top was cutthroat.”
“This is exactly my point,” I say. “It’s why I’ve decided to model our new structure on Rose Hollow. Over there, the system is designed to support the most disadvantaged. There’s an even share of profits and excess.”
“Some of our townsfolk won’t like that,” Dale warns, his voice low. “The section of town that Azarian lived in is full of oldmansions and even older money. They’ve enjoyed superiority for a long time, and I don’t think they’ll give it up.”
“Sounds like I need to have a meeting with them,” I say. “One of them could be my new minister for commerce.”
“Sounds ambitious,” Lindsay scoffs.
“Maybe,” I answer, giving him a cold stare. “But it’s how I want to run things.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” he adds. “I’m in full support of the changes. I recommend meeting with the younger members of the first families and appointing one of them. If anyone can sway the older generation, it will be their younger relatives.”
“Thank you for the advice,” I reply. “Gen, can you get me those names?”
“I sure can,” she answers. “I can coordinate on this, too—I’m from one of those families.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah,” she says, giving me a little wince. “I’m ashamed to say I participated in that terrible behavior. Even though Scarlett was my friend, I turned on her because others did. My family said she was worthless. An embarrassment, a disgrace. And I, very stupidly, believed it.”
“Interesting,” I say thoughtfully. “So, you’d be able to secure a meeting with these families? I’d like to get their input on our new direction.”
“I can tell you already, they don’t like it,” Gen answers softly.
I look around the room, only to see that everyone is looking somewhere else as if the walls and ceiling have become endlessly fascinating.
“I didn’t know this,” I say, my voice low but stern. “And I don’t want anything kept from me in the future. This is serious. It’s potential dissent. You all know that, or you wouldn’t be so awkward right now. I need to know I have your trust and your loyalty, not just in important matters like this, but right down to the kindergarten chocolate raffle. You got me?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Andrea says, smiling. “You have my full support. This place is a mess, and it’s about time someone cleaned it up.”
“Thank you,” I reply, nodding to her. Around the table, the others also voice their agreement.
Briefly, we go over the tasks to be covered by their guilds and identify gaps that still need to be managed. Gregor texts back to inform me that the next school event is in two days if I want to attend. As we wrap up the meeting, Gen promises to do some work with the first families and bring in volunteers to join the new council.
“I can think of a few older people who would kill to be on the council,” Gen says. “But they’d want power, like what Azarian had. The exact power that he kept from everyone else.”
“That time has ended,” I say firmly. “No one is superior to another in this pack anymore, regardless of their status or financial situation. Surely, after seeing what happened to Azarian, they understand how dangerous that mindset is—not just to the individual, but the entire pack.”
“Some of them won’t,” Gen says ruefully. “They didn’t see the snake or understand the threat. And they’re resentful of the union, and the military presence.”
“Get them into a meeting,” I urge. “Anyone who will come. I’ll talk to them first, then I’ll start knocking on doors if I have to. I’m prepared to give them time to get used to the newways, but the quicker they accept it and start making changes, the better.”
“Understood, Alpha,” Gen answers.
There is a low murmur of mixed noise as everyone says their goodbyes, heading for the door. I wait for the room to clear before following the others out to the parking lot. I feel as wrung-out as a wet towel on the line, and lean on the side of my truck as I pull out my phone.
One of the WS boys, Shawn, has left me a couple of messages telling me he’s in town, so I drive down to the bar to meet him. It’s mid-afternoon, and the place is pretty much empty except for a few old boys tipping back cold beers out front in the shade.
“Hey,” I say, giving Shawn’s hand a firm shake. “Any news?”
“Not really,” he replies, motioning to the bartender to bring over another drink. “But Rex wanted me to check in here. Is there anything to report?”
