Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“I usually run point,” Austin said. “I’ve known a few of the players for a long time—Jess before she had magic, and the crew as it was being built. I’ve been eased into…what it is. Today, with you leading, was an experiment. I wanted to see if you’d only choose guys from your past cairn, how you’d do at integrating the guardians with her crew, how you’d organize transportation—the works. The guys you chose, only one of them from your past cairn, seemed shell-shocked.”
“I chose the best guardians in this territory, and yes, they were. I regret to say that I was, too. Still am. I have zero training for how to handle magical attack flowers at a non-magical county fair while still keeping the non-attack flowers in tip-top shape. The whole situation…was a bit of a mind-fuck, sir—Austin.”
He hit the next ball, a little off. It missed just barely. Austin’s turn.
“And you think I’ve had training for that type of situation?” he asked as he lined up his ball, then moved his stick a bit off center. He didn’t want to show his skill so early. They hadn’t put any money on this game yet. They hadn’t agreed on a figure. He’d show strong when there was a purse to win.
“I think you’re a little…more open-minded than I am.”
“Only when it comes to Jess. I suggest you try to be, too. I know what the gargoyle leaders thought of our setup. What most people think. And then they see her in battle, or managing her crew like she did today, and they see a whole different side of her. That side has earned her respect in the pack. She has only been personally challenged one time, and that is because she met the challenge in a spectacular way. The thing to do with her and her crew is to follow her lead until you can figure out how to enhance it.”
Tristan blew out a breath. “You have a lot of trust in her with all these powerful beings.”
“She has a lot of trust in me to handle the territory around her. The two of us work in tandem. We each handle part of a whole. Soon I have every belief she’ll be leading more of the gargoyle faction as I command the shifters. She just needs to work up to it. This is all new to her.”
He cocked his head. “I see what you’re saying, though I have no experience working with someone else that closely. I’ve never trusted anyone that much.”
“It shows. I didn’t take a leadership role until I was ready for one…”
Austin missed his next ball on purpose and Tristan smirked.
“Not very subtle, alpha,” he said, moving into position for his next shot. Austin couldn’t tell if the comment was about what he’d said or missing the shot. Maybe both.
“I’ve gotten clearance from Jessie to speak to Nathanial,” Tristan said, lining up his shot. “That gargoyle’s a fount of wisdom. He’s quiet. He’s smart. He watches everything and only steps in when he’s needed. Where it gets interesting is that he always knows exactly when he’s needed. I saw it today. I was hovering around like an idiot, and he stepped forward when it was crucial.”
“Not totally true.” Austin watched Tristan bank a shot. He missed the pocket he was going for but sunk his ball into a different pocket. Austin’s turn, but the ball was still made. He sensed both of them were playing coy at showing their skills. “You pushed forward, asking to be needed—he waits until he’s needed. You took the role I usually take. In fairness to him, I’ve never allowed him the opportunity to take that role.”
“Why did you allow me?”
“Morbid curiosity?” They both laughed. “You have a host of guardians to command, more coming all the time. You need to understand Jess to do your job well. You also need to understand that her crew has the capacity to turn any situation strange. Nathanial knows when to step in, yes, and he’s a fantastic flying helper for her. It’s his biggest asset. But he’s not a commander like you are.”
Tristan didn’t comment and instead they passed in silence for a time, hitting or missing their shots in a dance of pretend. They were both better than this, both circling each other. It felt like a metaphor for their current situation.
“Shall I cut to the chase?” Austin finally ventured, winning by sinking the black and letting Tristan rack the next game.
“Sure.”
His tone was unmistakably wary.
“Actually, why don’t you tell me your reservations. You think you made a mistake in coming here, is that it? Your last position—“ He stopped when Tristan’s body language changed, radiating unease and confusion.
He’d guessed wrong.
“Too many alphas, then,” he guessed again. “You need to work with one or the other of us.”