Alisha still gets the odd nightmare, but she isn’t as freaked out by them anymore, and she doesn’t feel like the snake is near. Of all things in this world, her nightmares still scare me because I know she’s touching the otherworld—and I can’t protect her there.
As I jog across the oval, I see her sitting in a little circle with the others—Scarlett, Grace, and my Shadow buddies.
“Hey,” Rex says, giving my hand a hard shake. “How’s the turnout?”
“Great,” I answer. “Everyone’s having fun. Only a few that didn’t show.”
“Not surprising,” Grace mutters.
“We’re trying, Grace,” I reply.
She shakes her head. “You haven’t even met them yet, have you?”
“I met Gen’s grandfather,” I answer. “It wasn’t the funnest occasion of my life.”
“And the others keep dodging you?”
“Yeah. We set up meetings, then all of a sudden, they’re unavailable.”
Grace scoffs, a little noise of disgust. “They are disrespecting you, Alpha. They think you’re beneath them. You have no idea how bad the class wars are here. Your only chance was to disown the poor and grovel to them.”
“Well, that ain’t gonna happen,” I mutter.
Grace shrugs. “They are probably more pissed off about the poor getting taken care of than anything else. They’ll be sitting in their big houses right now, hating you.”
“Gen is working on them,” I answer.
“I hope it works,” Grace says.
I turn to Rex to ask for a cold beer, and he tosses one to me. I immediately tilt my head back and gulp it down, asking for another.
“Careful,” Alisha says. “I don’t want you drunk if I happen to deliver tonight.”
“You said we had weeks!” I answer, going to sit beside her.
She laughs. “Yes. At least three. I’m joking.”
“How is my princess?” I ask, putting my hand on her huge belly.
“Uncomfortable,” she moans. “Oh, wait. You meant the baby? I’m sure she’s feeling a bit squished as well.”
I chuckle, rubbing her tummy lightly. “Won’t be long now,” I say. “Then we can meet her.”
“So, guys,” Shawn says. “Are we counting on things being pretty quiet around here now, especially now that WS has pulled out?”
“Yep,” Rex answers. “The biggest trouble we have right now is the first families looking down on us, and if that’s the most danger we have to face, I’m fine with it.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Grace mutters.
Shawn shrugs. “I’m just looking forward to some downtime. I retired to get out of the action, know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I do,” Rex says, looking at Scarlett. She blushes and kisses him.
“Grace, do you really think the snake is going to stay quiet now?” I ask.
She looks at me, her eyes glittering with hidden depths. “I know, you think it spoke to me,” she answers. “But it really didn’t. From a magical perspective, I don’t feel anything, and I think Alisha is more connected to it than me.”
“No,” Alisha says, shaking her head. “An occasional dream, that’s it. My connection to plants, though, that’s something else.”
