by Laura Wylde
Recently, Dean had gone from a wallflower, permanently in the background, barely saying a word, to a real nuisance. Not only because of his insistence in being rude to Reese, which was a real issue for me because I’d let him know we wanted her to be made very welcome here but also because of this whole jaguar thing.
Why was he so insistent? Why did he care so much about the jaguars? They weren’t the answer.
“Okay,” I finally replied wearily. “Well, I’m going to have to find him, aren’t I? Straighten this out.”
I sighed loudly, it was too late for all of this nonsense. I just wanted to go to bed, to rest until the morning where we could face all of this properly. But people were getting worried about Dean, so it was up to me to sort it out.
“Sorry, Jakar, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, I just thought it best to come to you first…”
“Of course, I understand. It was best to come for me. I am the only one who can deal with this.”
Trevor turned, about to leave, but just as he got to the door, he halted suddenly. I could only assume that there was someone else coming in, probably to moan to me about Dean. A headache was starting to come on.
“Jakar!” Oh no, I was wrong. It was Javier, my brother, with fury across his expression. “Do you know what’s going on here? I can’t believe it. I don’t even know how we’re going to deal with this now…”
“Wait, Javier.” I put my hand on him to stop him pacing. His eyes flickered towards me, revealing a million different emotions. “What are you talking about? Let’s get on the same page here before we go off on to a rant.”
“Dean…Dean and his new incredible idea that we have turned down a million times.”
“Ah, okay, I see.” I nodded at Trevor. “Yes, I’ve just been informed that he’s still researching the jaguars…”
“Research? Pfft, I wouldn’t call it that. He’s out there right now, arranging a meeting with them.”
“A meeting?” My blood ran ice cold, which for a hot blooded male was hard. “What do you mean?”
Javier waved his hands frustratedly at me. “What do I mean? I mean Tyler just caught him shifting and running outside. He asked him what he was doing, and he told him. He said he’s sick of the way we’re doing things around here with the humans, and since we won’t listen to him, he’s going to show us. There was a scuffle, but Dean got away and now he’s going to be bringing them to us. Can you even believe this shit?”
Fuck, that was bad. That was bad, real bad. Especially as he was one of mine, so the blame fell on me.
“I’m going to find him,” I insisted, preparing myself to leave. “I’m fast in animal form. Faster than he is and I’m pretty sure I know where he’s going.” I held up the piece of paper which had fallen from Dean’s book, giving me plenty of information. “Set up a meeting for the morning. With everyone. We will be back by then.”
Javier looked like he was about to argue with me for a moment, but then he silenced himself and nodded. “Okay, yes, I think that might be the best option. Find him, hopefully before he gets to the jaguars, and we can sort this out.”
Trevor’s eyes were wide with shock, he didn’t really know how to process all of this. It was obviously hard on him too, to learn that his pack mate had betrayed him. This was going to cause waves through all of us.
“Trevor, inform the others to be ready in the morning for a meeting. We need to get this sorted once and for all.”
Trevor left then. I wished I could have talked to him more, to check that he was okay, but I just didn’t have the time for it. I had my priorities and I needed to make sure that we got to Dean first.
“Do you want me to do anything?” Javier asked, with sympathy in his voice now.
“No, I don’t think so. I think all we can do is get ready for tomorrow. It’s going to be a shit storm.”
I always knew that bringing more human women into the pack was going to change the dynamics of things, I just never quite realized how much. If things with Dean went the way I thought they were going to, then it was going to shift things forever. Life as we knew it was going to be dramatically different.
“Okay, well I’m going to go.” I shifted my body, preparing myself for the moment I left the grounds of Panthera to transform into my animal form. “I won’t come back until Dean is with me.”
“Good luck, Jakar. Let’s get this sorted. We’re in this together, don’t you forget about that.”
I nodded and smiled gratefully at my brother, glad that I had someone on my side, someone to support me. It made it easier to know that I had an amazing family to come back to, whatever the outcome. Even if things did change, there would be enough constancy to keep myself going, to ensure that I remained sane.
I left Javier then and ran out of Panthera, already shifting my human form and transforming into the beast. I exploded forwards into my black fur, onto four paws, ready to take on the world. Then the jungle raced passed me in a blur. I had a target in mind and one direction in which I needed to head, and nothing would stop me…
Dean wouldn’t look at anyone as he stood in the middle of the room, waiting for the rest of the shifters to join us. I told Javier that I wouldn’t return without Dean and I hadn’t… it was just a shame that Dean had managed to evade me for such a long time, and I didn’t get to him before he’d spoken to the jaguars.
They were coming. The meeting was already set without my command and Javier’s. We were potentially fucked.
As Reese entered the room with Trevor, Sean, and Garret close beside her, she looked anxious. I guess this was a bit much for her, to be involved in something so serious. It was a shame, really, that this had to happen when she was here, but it couldn’t be helped. We all needed to be in the same room to make this happen successfully.
I tried to give her a look to let her know that everything would be okay, but she wasn’t looking my way at all. She was staring only at Dean as if she was trying to figure him out. My heart bled for her, she looked like she just wanted to be accepted by him, which was strange to see from the fiery woman I knew that she was.
This just made me even more determined to make things right. It was sad, but it needed to be this way.
Once Kayla arrived with Javier’s pack, it was time to begin, and since Dean was one of mine it was up to me.
“Okay everyone, thank you for coming to this meeting this morning. I’m sorry that it’s under such grave circumstances.” I allowed that to sink in, just so everyone was aware what we were doing here. “As some of you know by now, last night, one of our own…Dean, set up a meeting with the jaguars about mating.”
Kayla gasped loudly and clutched her belly, taking a true offense to this. “He did it? He really did it?”
Her and Reese were potentially at huge risk if the jaguars came. We weren’t sure how they would react to humans and it could all go horribly wrong…just another reason why we didn’t want to go forward with this.
“Yes, so now we need to work out what punishment will fit the crime. So, Dean, it’s time for you to explain.”
He looked desperately uncomfortable as he twitched and fidgeted his body in front of everyone. “I have tried to tell you all about the jaguars, about how they are the right people for us to mate with. I have explained over and over again how it’s the right method for us, which I have backed up with scientific evidence.”
“Scientific evidence doesn’t cover every angle,” Javier burst out, unable to control himself. “Science doesn’t take into account the emotional side of things does it? It doesn’t take the need to fight into account.”
“But that’s why I had to go and see them to find out how they’d feel. We need to have all the options before we can make a choice. I know you all think humans are the way to go, but it’s so problematic.”
“Is that why you’ve been so rude?” Now it was my turn to let anger get the better of me. “You’ve treated our guest here appallingly. That might not be why we’re here, but it
’s worth bringing up.”
He hung his head low. “My behavior hasn’t been the best, I’ll admit that, but it’s frustrating to know that I’m right and for no one to even give me the time of day. None of you have listened one bit.”
“We have listened over and over again, but it isn’t the right move for us, which is why we haven’t pursued it. You think we haven’t considered it? You assume we’ve just ignored it, but we’ve considered it over and over again. Me and Javier have made a choice for the pack that it isn’t the way for us to go.”
I glanced at Javier and he nodded at me. It was time to dole out the punishment. As I raced through the jungle, I decided what punishment I thought was most appropriate for this crime and as soon as I got back, Javier agreed. It was time to get it done so we could all start getting used to it. It wasn’t going to be easy…
“Dean, you have betrayed the pack, and for that reason, I’m afraid we can’t let you continue here…” I sucked in a deep breath. I hated that it came to this, but we had no other options. “Panthera needs loyalty, we can’t survive without it. Loyalty and secrecy. It seems like you have turned your back on the pack, and for that reason…”
“Wait!” All of a sudden, the most unexpected person took a step forward and interrupted me. “Wait, are you going to banish Dean for this? Are you going to send him away just for setting up a meeting?”
I narrowed my eyes, wondering why she looked so panicked about this. It seemed like she was more committed to Panthera and the people who lived here than she’d been letting on. “There needs to be punishment for the crime,” I told her calmly. “Dean has gone against the wishes of his pack alpha, he has revealed our location, he has put us at risk. You and Kayla too. That is something we cannot let slide, not when it puts our childrens’ lives in danger. Everyone here needs to know that the rules must be followed. The alpha’s word is law, not to be ignored.”
For a second, it looked like she was going to step back, to accept my words, but then a fire ignited within her again and I could already tell that a rant was coming before it flew out of her mouth.
“You cannot turn your back on your own, just for making a decision that he thought was right for the pack. It seems like he’s tried to communicate with you, and you haven’t properly explained why you don’t think it’s a good plan. Yes, he’s set up a meeting without your permission, but this isn’t a dictatorship, is it? Sure, the alpha’s word might be law in nature, but from what I’ve seen during my short time here, it doesn’t work like that in practice. You all respect one another and treat each other like equals, like everyone matters.”
I gave Javier a desperate look, but all I got back was an impressed smirk. He liked that Reese was standing up for Dean, even if it meant putting the rest of us down and making us look foolish in front of our pack.
“Reese,” I addressed her wearily. “Dean has been rude to you over and over…”
“But I don’t think that’s personal. I think it’s just because I represent what he is afraid of. I was probably rude to all of you when I arrived because I was scared, so I understand. I certainly don’t think that’s a reason to send someone out into the jungle alone, with no one to support him. I don’t think you should be so harsh.”
I glanced at Dean and spotted the shock on his face. He was as stunned by Reese standing up for him as I was. That was the last thing I expected today. I was anticipating a bit of resistance, but not from her.
“So, what do you propose we do?” I leaned back and looked at Reese defiantly. If she wanted to get involved in our politics, then I was going to chuck her right in the middle of it to see how she coped. “What’s your idea, Reese?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Make him do jobs around the place, take away privileges, make him stay in the city for a while…I have no idea. I just know that banishment is far too extreme.”
I looked at Javier and he didn’t immediately oppose the idea, which meant he was all for it. Then I looked around at everyone else to see how they were feeling. To be honest, it seemed like everyone was in agreement with Reese. No one thought that Dean needed to be banished from the pack, to make it on his own. I was stunned.
Shit, it seemed like I’d gotten it wrong. Well, I wasn’t so full of pride that I couldn’t admit it. But I was going to give him a suitable punishment to make sure that he opened his eyes to what we were trying to do here.
“Dean.” I turned to face him and watched the fear flood him. He had no idea what decision I was going to make, and because I was tired and a little crabby, I wanted him to sit and stew with that for a few moments, so I paused before I spoke again. “You can stay here.” He breathed out with relief. “But you will be Reese’s primary guardian until the meeting with the jaguar shifters happens. It will be a busy time for the rest of us, we need to prepare, and of course, you cannot be involved with that, so you can spend time with Reese.”
If he got to know her, really know her properly, he would like her. He would give up all of this jaguar nightmare and accept that this was the way forward for all of us. It was the best solution.
Reese didn’t look convinced, but this was a little trick for her as well. She’d stood up to me, and I liked it, but I needed to keep an element of control around here or things could descend into chaos.
Everyone nodded in agreement before it was time to filter out. Reese remained behind, presumably to talk to me. But it wasn’t me she needed to spend time with now. It was Dean. So, I stepped aside and allowed him to walk towards her. He didn’t at first, he just remained staring at her with a shocked, fearful expression.
Good. He’d fucked up, he’d pushed her away and now he couldn’t anymore.
I stepped outside the door and listened in, trying to hear what was being said. I just needed to check this was going to start smoothly and that I hadn’t just made a huge mistake. It was quiet for a very long time.
“Thank you,” Dean finally said quietly. “I don’t know why you did that but thank you.”
“I did it because it was the right thing to do.”
I couldn’t help but smile at Reese’s typical snappy answer. She really was something else. Somehow, she’d managed to turn my mind around and change my ruling, which was crazy. I never usually changed my mind, I stuck stubbornly to my guns, but Reese just had that effect on me.
She was going to have the same effect on Dean as well. She would, I just knew it.
“I guess we’re going to be seeing a lot more of one another now,” Dean replied cautiously.
“Yes, it seems that way. Which is good for me because I am very interested in your research.”
“You are? Even though it got me into all this trouble?”
“I have a scientific brain. I want to know what you’ve found. I’ve always been interested in it…”
I nodded to myself, satisfied. Actually, this was the best outcome for todays meeting. I was happy with it. It spelled good things to come. If we could survive this meeting with the jaguars that was…
Jakar
“Okay, so that’s all of our defenses in place,” Javier announced, sounding far more confident than I knew he felt inside. Him too, for sure. He was just keeping up appearances for the rest of the pack. “Just in case…”
“What do you think is going to happen?” Garret demanded. “Are we expecting the worst or what?”
“No, I don’t think so.” I rested my hand on his shoulder. “We’re just trying to be prepared is all.”
I honestly had no idea what to expect. Dean had told us all that the jaguars were open to meeting and since they didn’t rip him to shreds the moment they saw him, we should feel open too, but I didn’t know if we could trust his words. It was awful to feel that way about someone who I was supposed to put all of my faith into, a pack member I could rely on to save my life just like I would do for him, but that was gone. That wasn’t to say he couldn’t bring it back…it was just going to take some time, that was all. He was going to have
to build it back up.
Garret stared at me, his eyes filled with fear. His mood reflected how the rest of the panthers felt. No one wanted to face the jaguars. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d seen Kayla. It seemed like Javier was keeping her and the pack baby locked away in case the jaguars turned up early and unleashed hell.
It didn’t matter who that baby biologically belonged to, he or she was all of theirs.
“You think we’ll be shunned?” Trevor joined in. “Or attacked? What is more likely?”
I huffed and shook my head. “Why don’t we just focus on the positives that could happen? This could be alright.”
But no one believed me. They all stared at me like I’d lost my mind. I guess I wasn’t the only one who had lost faith in Dean. That boy was in a shit storm here. He might have been better off going away…
Speaking of Dean, I wondered where he was. With Reese somewhere. Hopefully bonding in a good way. I said that the rest of us would be busy with the meeting preparations and I wasn’t wrong. I didn’t realize quite how much organizing this was going to take. It was a bit of a nightmare, actually.
“Look, I don’t want to think of an attack right now. It isn’t helpful to focus on the negative when we aren’t one hundred percent sure which way it will turn. You two need to keep yourselves busy, to stop thinking of it too.”
Garret and Trevor looked at one another hopelessly. It was as if they didn’t know what to do with themselves. I was sure there were a million and one jobs that needed doing, but there was only one I wanted attending to.
“Why don’t you go and find Dean and Reese?” I asked. “Check that he’s treating her right.”
As they nodded and raced off, I thought about Reese and the last time I’d seen her properly, when she stood up so fiercely for Dean. The more I considered that moment with a more objective view, the sexier she looked. It reminded me a lot of the second I first laid eyes on her when she arrived at Panthera screaming and yelling. Reese had a real sense of justice, and she would stand up for what she believed in. I liked that. It felt genuine.