Of cowboys and snakes
1616 Words
Max
This is what I fought so hard for? What I gave up my career for? Seriously?! Sitting in this stuffy boardroom, it’s hard to not let the childish, petulant side of me win.
I let my gaze move around the conference table. This meeting has been dragging on for hours, and the ferocious woman beside me has much to do with that. Teagan glares at the Alpha of Grey Vale with the disdain she only ever shows me when I pretend to clip my toenails in the living room.
“Why don’t we take a break?”
Leaning forward, Blood Moon’s Alpha, Emmett No-idea-what-his-last-name-is, shoots all of us one of his wide smiles. Too genuine. That’s how you instantly make him out as the country bumpkin. Well, that and the Stetson, that he only reluctantly took off when he sat down with us. Not everyone can rock cowboy hats.
“Yeah, I think some coffee would be good now.” I’m here to form an alliance. Why not over beverages and how much I need a break from being eye-f*cked by Grey Vales Beta.
I’m conceded enough to think everyone knows me, but with her, it was different from the moment she shook my hand too hard. Yep, we definitely f*cked at some point. So, for the better part of the meeting, I have been trying to scour my brain for any image of the pretty brunette, but none will come up. That neck tattoo and those long a** nails should ring a bell. But no, there is no 'Allegra' anywhere on the hard drive.
Her demeanor is starting to piss her brother off, though, and since he’s the one currently standing between me and a trade agreement with Grey Vale that will ensure my pack’s financial security for years to come, she’s starting to get on my nerves as well. Atlas just now shoots her a glance only a sibling could and then turns to me with a mean smile.
“Sure, Max.” The refusal to be respectful enough to use my title has Teagan to my right go rigid, a growl leaving her. Douchbag- D’Ovidio just grins wider. He has been blackballing any chance my pack has had at trading with bigger players further south. This is the first time I managed to get him and the leader of the second-largest pack down there to sit down with me.
Blood Moon’s Alpha Emmet is a good guy, and when you see him in his worn jeans and scuffed boots, you’d never think he runs the biggest dairy farm in the continental US, breeding most of the cattle for anywhere north of the Mexican border. He doesn’t have this air of superiority around him that Atlas ‘the abomination’ D’Ovidio does. Then again, Emmet, much like myself, didn’t grow up in a pack, constantly reminded of the hierarchy that comes with it.
Where the D’Ovidio twins command attention and think they deserve it for simply existing, the two of us have a harder time accepting that as fact, even if it is our birthright.
“It’s Alpha Cummings, sir. And I really don’t-
“I couldn’t care less.” The harsh interruption has my hackles rise. How dare he cut Teagan off like that?!
“Watch your tone!”
“Oh, get your panties out of that gigantic twist. No one cares.” Blood rushes in my ears, and I lean forward, ready to pull Atlas and his smug face right over the table toward me when a hand lands on my forearm.
Gray Vale’s Alpha smirks at Teagan’s hold on me. “ALPHA Cummings.”
‘Bastard! We will have his head for-
“I don’t see how a break will change the trajectory of this meeting.” Atlas shrugs. “Honestly, I give a rat’s a** about what your pack wants or needs, and what you’ve presented me with so far hasn’t convinced me to change my mind.”
He looks over at Emmet expectantly. Blood Moon’s Alpha stonily meets his gaze, then faces Teagan and me again. “I’m sorry, Alpha Cummings, but I will have to agree with Atlas here.” And the jab isn’t lost on me. It’s the silent types, I tell you. “I have no problem lending you a hand or even aligning temporarily in an emergent situation. But I don’t see long-term benefits in this agreement for my pack or me.”
My stomach riles. F*ck. This isn’t the first time this has gone wrong. I have a pretty good handle on my pack’s finances, and we aren’t as big as others in the region, but I can only rely on my fame for so much. Fame doesn’t bring in contracts for the businesses my pack runs. Especially given that they have nothing to do with my former career.
“Rivers.”
All of us look up at Teagan. “Sorry?” Allegra snaps, her gaze glued to the other woman’s face. Teagan places her hand on a folder, I didn’t register until now.
“Rivers.” She repeats calmly. My brow shooting up might betray me, but I have no idea what she’s talking about. Nothing we discussed. My publicist has gone rogue. And not for the first time.
“You repeating-
“The river close to your pharmaceutical plant in Ingham.”
Atlas pales a little. “My sources tell me there have been complaints about the water’s quality declining ever since you claimed to have installed a ‘state of the art waste management system.’” The air quotes Tegan draws elicit a growl from Atlas.
“What are you insinuating?!”
I suppress a shiver at the calm smile my publicist plasters onto her face. This expression is never good. It’s the literal ‘calm before the storm.’ The moment of security before she sweeps down and obliterates you.
‘It’s glorious!’ Goddess, my wolf sounds fan-boyish today.
“I’m not insinuating anything, Alpha.” A voice sweet as sugar. “I’m merely informing you that I have it on good authority that an investigation will be launched shortly.”
She opens her folder. “You see, when public health is concerned, no one wants to be the one who turns a blind eye. So they will definitely be taking water samples in a few weeks.” Teagan momentarily stops flipping through the pages to look Altlas straight in the eye.
“What do you think they’ll find?”
“That’s absurd!” His fist slams onto the table. “Nothing! They will find nothing.”
“Incorrect.” Teagan places a piece of paper in the middle of the table, and I see Emmet lean in a little to read it.
“I took the liberty of having the water tested last week.”
“What?!”
“Was I mumbling?” The look on her face is stone-cold now. “Let me repeat it then: I had the water tested last week.” She enunciates every word overly clearly. “This is the report an independent lab did on their findings.” Teagan pushes a few pages over to Emmet.
“Read it. This is what’s coming for your territory.” The big guy goes rigid for a second. “Most of your pastures are somewhere downstream of the plant. The river is connected to most of the water in both your and Gray Vale's land.” It takes him only minutes to skim the three pages, flipping them so hard he nearly rips out the staples.
“You’re… Did you know about this?”
If looks could kill, the D’Ovidio twins would be six feet under by now. Emmet’s hands ball into fists. “For how long has this ‘waste management system’ been in place?”
When they both stay silent, the hairs on my neck stand up as I see the Alpha’s eyes change color. “FOR HOW LONG?!”
His voice sounds nothing like him, his lycan taking over, fur slowly spreading on his forearms as he glares at the suddenly very quiet pair from Gray Vale.
“We- I-I-
“This is what cost me nearly a quarter of my feeding grounds this year alone, isn’t it?!”
Oh, Mama.
“It is.” It’s Teagan who cuts in. She holds up a hand when Atlas gets ready to protest. “But lucky for you, we have the solution for both your problems.” Some more paper gets pushed over the table. This time, there is a second copy for the twins.
“One of the companies founded and run by our Gamma happens to make biodegradable cleansing bots that have already been used overseas for a while. You’ll find the reports on page two.” She flips through her own copy, inconspicuously placing it so I can read it. “Our distributor’s warehouse over there burned down, so we are looking for a site for the new warehouse and, of course, potential buyers in the States.” Teagan smiles sweetly at Atlas.
“We would be happy to work with you in exchange for a chance to use one of the many locations you have available for commercial use.” A map appears out of nowhere, and Teagan’s perfectly manicured nail scratches over the paper when she points at a small gray blob. “This one would be the right size for now, and we could-
“Hold your horses, Hurst! What kind of cool aid did you drink to think we would agree to that?!”
Hissing like a snake. Goddess, now I remember her. What does that say about me?
- Writer
