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“If we’re first and second, who’s third?”
“The Amakhosi and his cats. Not just his pride, but all the cats in town who call him king.”
“You think Nathan could go up against the Chattanooga Pack and win?”
“Absolutely. Politically, physically, metaphysically, doesn’t matter.”
“Okay, next?” she asked.
“I’m honestly not certain whether it’s the bikers or the Chattanooga Pack. The Pack is magnitudes larger, but allowing any wolf who fought in the Great Battle to use magic has given the bikers more options, not to mention, they aren’t just wolves. Also, they have a good mix of brains, muscles, and raw metaphysical power.”
I stroked her hand and was happy for the automatic transmission. “Angelica and Bash? Fuck me. I plan to figure out how to get close enough to them to drink their lust from a distance while they’re having sex. I don’t know when or where, but it will happen at some point – perhaps if they stay in a hotel, I can obtain the room next to theirs. I’ll figure it out. And then there’s Horse and Gabby, and their connection is almost sacred in a way I can’t explain. Their combined energy isn’t quite divine, but isn’t far from it, and it’s scary strong. So, even though the bikers have a tenth as many people as the Chattanooga Pack, I think it’s possible they come in next, then the Chattanooga Pack, and finally the Ringgold Pack, who come so low down the list only because of the power of the others. Patrick and Brianna are a true ruling couple — move them and their top people to most cities larger than Chattanooga, and they’d be the top dogs just under the city’s coterie.”
“I’m not certain you’re right, but I can’t argue that you’re wrong, either. The bikers have more connections with the powerful groups, and that gives them a shitload of political clout. Next up would be individual powerhouses. Isaac and Harrison?”
Not only did two imperator crocodile shifters live in Chattanooga, they happened to be the two most powerful on the planet, with the latter being crowned King when he returned to this realm after being held prisoner and forced into service in another realm for centuries.
“Those two are frightening on a visceral level. Reptiles in general scare humans, and often those who were once human. Crocodiles, particularly giant crocodiles, are especially terrifying. The thing is, I don’t see them trying to be powerful. They came tonight because Isaac is my business partner at one establishment and it would’ve created questions if they had not, but otherwise, both seem happier to remain in the background.”
“When Gen first started dating Duke, Isaac used his clout and presence to make sure Gen didn’t get hurt. I understand he threatened to mop the parking lot with the entire club of bikers, and no one doubted he could do so.”
It took me a minute to make the connection — one of Isaac’s lovers is Gen’s brother. “Okay. So, you’re saying if Gen or her child, or one of Isaac’s lovers, or a potential family Harrison might one day acquire — a danger to any of those people could wake the sleeping beasts?”
“Yep.”
“If they have the bikers behind them politically along with the coterie, that moves the two of them ahead of the bikers. If they are somehow fighting on the opposite side? I wouldn’t want to see the aftermath.”
Chapter 3
Marco
The following week, I had to deal with a public punishment for some of my security team. I gave Etta the choice of whether to invite the slayer, and I was relieved she saw the need to show him we have nothing to hide.
I watched him while she drained the eagle and made him her slave, but I got nothing from the slayer’s expression or scent to tell me how he felt about the evening’s activities.
The two of them left together, with Ryan driving, and I sent Venom to tail them from a distance, using Etta’s cellphone to track her, rather than keeping them in sight. I wanted him within a mile of her, so he could provide assistance should she need it, but not so close either Etta or the slayer would pick up on him. Etta is my Secundo, but she’s also a dear friend, and I needed to make sure she was safe.
Later in the evening, it was finally time for me to take Cora to my home on Signal Mountain and show her around, and I chose to take her by car this first time, rather than fly us across the gorge from Homewood.
Signal Mountain is part of the Cumberland Plateau, which means once we were on top of the mountain, it was mostly flat, and we were nowhere near the cliffs at the edge of the plateau.
We were discussing how the shapeshifters felt about Etta’s powers when the gas pedal moved away from my foot and the car rapidly picked up speed. I put my foot on the brake, but nothing happened.
“The accelerator is jammed all the way open, and the brakes aren’t engaging,” I told Cora as I steered us around mountain curves at a speed even the Maserati SUV had a hard time handling. “Telepath Kirsten. See if she can teleport us out of the vehicle.”
Cora reached for her purse, and two seconds later, the car locked up and skidded, engine dead, wheels locked, no power steering. I fought the wheel in an attempt to steer us through the skid, but mostly, we were inertia’s bitch.
We finally came to a stop compliments of an oak tree. Thank goodness we’d been in a forested area with no houses, miles from the cliffs that ringed the plateau. We’d hit a substantial pine tree near the right front fender, skidded sideways, and then slammed around so the back passenger door hit the ancient oak.
“You okay?” I asked. I didn’t scent more injury than was likely caused by the seatbelt, but I had to ask.
“Yeah.”
I had questions for her, because she’d somehow shut the vehicle down with something in her purse, but I had to tend to our immediate safety first. I picked up the sounds of small wildlife nearby, but nothing else. While continuing to monitor the surrounding area, I checked in with my people. I had a pathway set up to telepath Etta, Patience, Moira, Josef, and Venom all at once.
Are all of you okay? Report by hierarchy, please.
The five of them reported in that all was well, and I telepathed Venom, Get with Josef about the best way to get you and Etta to our closest safe space, and get the two of you there posthaste, without the slayer. I opened up to speak to everyone again, and told them, It’s possible someone vandalized my vehicle and forced me to crash. I don’t know whether I am under attack personally, or the coterie is, but we need to go into immediate lockdown. I’ll report in again once I’ve made it to a safe place. Patience will hand out jobs, and Josef is in charge of security. Etta can override either, but I don’t foresee she’ll need to.
