Island Stripe Pride - Chapter 42: Chapter 42
You are reading Island Stripe Pride, Chapter 42: Chapter 42. Read more chapters of Island Stripe Pride.
Trench was enjoying this quiet time with his mate when a knock interrupted them. Her head sprang up, and eyes gold with her Tigress blinked up at him.
“It’s time,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb down her cheek.
Bria nodded and rose off his lap. He hated the chill that hit him the second they weren’t touching, but Trench needed to have his head on straight for this.
The Shifter Council of New York City had grown in power over the last year. The moniker no longer worked since they handled Shifter affairs in all the tri-state area. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut now falling under their purview. But business was business, and their reputation was such that they were loath to change it.
Bria was quiet as they rode the elevator down to the waiting convoy of cars that would take the Island Strip Pride Neta, acting head of the SCNYC, his Nari, Trench, Bria, and some guards. Whenever you had groups of Shifters, especially those who would be enemies in the wild, it was wise to have numbers on your side.
The Wolves certainly would. As he mulled it over in his head, Trench could not shake the feeling that this entire thing was a setup. It made no sense, though. Bria was a normal, or had been before the Puspa. What did she have to do with a Wolf Pack from the big city?
“Are you alright?” she asked, her brown eyes so trusting and sweet.
No matter what happened, Trench swore then that he’d kill the whole fucking lot of them if they threatened her in any way.
“Yeah, I’m alright, kitten,” he replied, squeezing her hand. “How about you? Nervous?”
“I mean, a bit. What are they going to ask me?”
“Not sure. They will want reassurances from you that you deleted the footage.”
“But I did. You saw me,” she said earnestly.
It had been a surprise, actually. Last night, after they’d made love over and over again, Trench had gone to the kitchen for a drink of water.
Worry was keeping him from sleeping. He could’ve taken it out of her hands, took her laptop that was even then charging on the counter, and he could have smashed the thing. But that wouldn’t help. Plus, she’d be pissed.
He'd turned around the second he’d heard her join him. Silently, she smiled and, as if she knew exactly what he’d been thinking, Bria went to her computer. She motioned him over, started opening files and deleting them while he watched.
“I’ve taken screenshots of the email with the video, as well as proof that I’ve deleted it from my hard drive and clouds.”
“Bria, I didn’t ask---”
“I know, but I’m a Shifter now, too. It’s my secret as well as yours and I would never let anything bad happen to you, Trench. Not if I could help it,” she’d replied.
Fuck, if he didn’t love her already, he would’ve fallen right then. His heart burned with emotion, and he lifted their joined hands and kissed her palm.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered, echoing the same sentiment she’d pledged to him the night before.
Bria nodded her head, and he knew she believed him. Proof again that gods existed. This sweet, trusting woman had shown more faith in Trench than anyone else ever had.
The ride over to the meeting place was relatively short. But only because they were not responsible for parking. Carter, the same Tiger whose ass he’d kicked the day before, nodded at him and exited the passenger seat.
He would act as a second guard for Bria, just as Trench had requested. The man scouted the area, using the slightest change of expression to relay it was safe to move from his standpoint.
“Shall we?” Bria asked.
She sucked in a fortifying breath, and Trench nodded. He didn’t like it, but what choice did they have?
Dean and Violet Romero were already inside. Unlike the other meeting, this was not open to the general public. Only a few Shifter leaders were gathered, and their personal guards. Which is why Trench tensed when the entire McLeesh Pack walked in scant minutes later.
“Well, well,” their Alpha sneered. “I see you’ve brought the traitorous human. Hand her over, and we will take care of her.”
“McLeesh,” Dean replied. “You’ve come with quite the show of strength, but what for? This was to be a friendly meeting---”
“Friendly? This human has threatened our kind! She must be dealt with, but if you cats don’t have the stomach, we Wolves certainly do!”
McLeesh spat the word human like it was dirty, and Trench’s Tiger growled in warning. His Wolves stirred behind him, some partially shifting, others snarling and flexing their claws. Trench felt his fangs descend. He noted Carter moving to flank Bria on the other side, and he approved. His mate trembled a little, and he couldn’t blame her.
There had to be almost forty Wolves against twelve Tigers. Enough for them to do some serious damage, but the Tigers outweighed the Wolves, some of them three to one. It would be an almost fair, if bloody, fight.
“McLeesh? We talked about this,” Blake Nero, the Vampire representative, spoke. “First, we must hear out the female.”
The Vampire gestured to a chair, but Bria did not move. Smart woman. He shook his head slightly, and Blake’s eyes raised in surprise. Since Vamps were notoriously hard to kill, Trench knew he wasn’t worried about the less than friendly energy in the atmosphere of the meeting room.
“I see things have changed. I shall remove myself from this meeting, as it is now an entirely Shifter matter,” Blake announced, surprising McLeesh.
“What?! How can you say that?” McLeesh began, but the Vampire had moved so quickly, he was gone by the time the old Wolf was done speaking.
“Bloodsucking fool,” McLeesh growled. “It is of no consequence, we are here now, and we are the ONLY ones that can protect our secret. Now, it is time for you to step down, Dean. My Pack demands the right to act in our best interests. Destroying this human and that video is our top priority!”
“Your Pack? You mean the entire pack you brought here? Unacceptable, McLeesh. In fact, this show of force is a threat to all here and as the acting Chief of the Council, I am in my rights to find you in contempt,” Dean said, replying to the Wolf’s aggression.
“Fuck this. Give us the girl,” McLeesh’s son and Beta stepped forward.
The Wolves were getting antsy, and they hadn’t even discussed anything yet. Fuck. This wasn’t a meeting about how to proceed to protect the Shifter secret. This was a plot to take over the Council. This was an act of war.
“It’s time,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb down her cheek.
Bria nodded and rose off his lap. He hated the chill that hit him the second they weren’t touching, but Trench needed to have his head on straight for this.
The Shifter Council of New York City had grown in power over the last year. The moniker no longer worked since they handled Shifter affairs in all the tri-state area. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut now falling under their purview. But business was business, and their reputation was such that they were loath to change it.
Bria was quiet as they rode the elevator down to the waiting convoy of cars that would take the Island Strip Pride Neta, acting head of the SCNYC, his Nari, Trench, Bria, and some guards. Whenever you had groups of Shifters, especially those who would be enemies in the wild, it was wise to have numbers on your side.
The Wolves certainly would. As he mulled it over in his head, Trench could not shake the feeling that this entire thing was a setup. It made no sense, though. Bria was a normal, or had been before the Puspa. What did she have to do with a Wolf Pack from the big city?
“Are you alright?” she asked, her brown eyes so trusting and sweet.
No matter what happened, Trench swore then that he’d kill the whole fucking lot of them if they threatened her in any way.
“Yeah, I’m alright, kitten,” he replied, squeezing her hand. “How about you? Nervous?”
“I mean, a bit. What are they going to ask me?”
“Not sure. They will want reassurances from you that you deleted the footage.”
“But I did. You saw me,” she said earnestly.
It had been a surprise, actually. Last night, after they’d made love over and over again, Trench had gone to the kitchen for a drink of water.
Worry was keeping him from sleeping. He could’ve taken it out of her hands, took her laptop that was even then charging on the counter, and he could have smashed the thing. But that wouldn’t help. Plus, she’d be pissed.
He'd turned around the second he’d heard her join him. Silently, she smiled and, as if she knew exactly what he’d been thinking, Bria went to her computer. She motioned him over, started opening files and deleting them while he watched.
“I’ve taken screenshots of the email with the video, as well as proof that I’ve deleted it from my hard drive and clouds.”
“Bria, I didn’t ask---”
“I know, but I’m a Shifter now, too. It’s my secret as well as yours and I would never let anything bad happen to you, Trench. Not if I could help it,” she’d replied.
Fuck, if he didn’t love her already, he would’ve fallen right then. His heart burned with emotion, and he lifted their joined hands and kissed her palm.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered, echoing the same sentiment she’d pledged to him the night before.
Bria nodded her head, and he knew she believed him. Proof again that gods existed. This sweet, trusting woman had shown more faith in Trench than anyone else ever had.
The ride over to the meeting place was relatively short. But only because they were not responsible for parking. Carter, the same Tiger whose ass he’d kicked the day before, nodded at him and exited the passenger seat.
He would act as a second guard for Bria, just as Trench had requested. The man scouted the area, using the slightest change of expression to relay it was safe to move from his standpoint.
“Shall we?” Bria asked.
She sucked in a fortifying breath, and Trench nodded. He didn’t like it, but what choice did they have?
Dean and Violet Romero were already inside. Unlike the other meeting, this was not open to the general public. Only a few Shifter leaders were gathered, and their personal guards. Which is why Trench tensed when the entire McLeesh Pack walked in scant minutes later.
“Well, well,” their Alpha sneered. “I see you’ve brought the traitorous human. Hand her over, and we will take care of her.”
“McLeesh,” Dean replied. “You’ve come with quite the show of strength, but what for? This was to be a friendly meeting---”
“Friendly? This human has threatened our kind! She must be dealt with, but if you cats don’t have the stomach, we Wolves certainly do!”
McLeesh spat the word human like it was dirty, and Trench’s Tiger growled in warning. His Wolves stirred behind him, some partially shifting, others snarling and flexing their claws. Trench felt his fangs descend. He noted Carter moving to flank Bria on the other side, and he approved. His mate trembled a little, and he couldn’t blame her.
There had to be almost forty Wolves against twelve Tigers. Enough for them to do some serious damage, but the Tigers outweighed the Wolves, some of them three to one. It would be an almost fair, if bloody, fight.
“McLeesh? We talked about this,” Blake Nero, the Vampire representative, spoke. “First, we must hear out the female.”
The Vampire gestured to a chair, but Bria did not move. Smart woman. He shook his head slightly, and Blake’s eyes raised in surprise. Since Vamps were notoriously hard to kill, Trench knew he wasn’t worried about the less than friendly energy in the atmosphere of the meeting room.
“I see things have changed. I shall remove myself from this meeting, as it is now an entirely Shifter matter,” Blake announced, surprising McLeesh.
“What?! How can you say that?” McLeesh began, but the Vampire had moved so quickly, he was gone by the time the old Wolf was done speaking.
“Bloodsucking fool,” McLeesh growled. “It is of no consequence, we are here now, and we are the ONLY ones that can protect our secret. Now, it is time for you to step down, Dean. My Pack demands the right to act in our best interests. Destroying this human and that video is our top priority!”
“Your Pack? You mean the entire pack you brought here? Unacceptable, McLeesh. In fact, this show of force is a threat to all here and as the acting Chief of the Council, I am in my rights to find you in contempt,” Dean said, replying to the Wolf’s aggression.
“Fuck this. Give us the girl,” McLeesh’s son and Beta stepped forward.
The Wolves were getting antsy, and they hadn’t even discussed anything yet. Fuck. This wasn’t a meeting about how to proceed to protect the Shifter secret. This was a plot to take over the Council. This was an act of war.
End of Island Stripe Pride Chapter 42. Continue reading Chapter 43 or return to Island Stripe Pride book page.