was feeling him out, trying to get an idea of whether the Keepers would support such a radical change. Mebis was a difficult one to read though, and she suspected he actively cultivated it. "Well, it seems pretty obvious that things can't continue the way they are. My clan is too small to be able to effectively cordon off the entire area from other weres."
"What about Samara?" He knew as well as she did that Samara couldn't be allowed to continue as she was.
Kess held her cup in both hands, gripping it tightly. "I need to take care of her before the end of summer."
"And the boy?" Mebis sounded cold.
"Excuse me?"
"Your houseguest. What you plan to do about him?"
"I'm not sure," she answered, confused with this line of questioning. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing to do."
Mebis smiled a grim smile. "Ah ah. That might cut it with your boyfriend, but it won't hold water with me. The hyena is a potential threat. One you haven't dealt with."
"If you know something...," Kess warned.
The werejackal cut her off smoothly. "I know that you are putting yourself, your clan, and your territory at risk over an unproven stranger. That is not the decision making process of a leader, but rather of someone who is letting personal feelings cloud her judgment."
God, had he been talking to Cormac? Kess bit back an angry answer. She didn't think snapping at a Keeper would bode well for a long and healthy life. "I wouldn't say I was doing that."
"Really?" Mebis leaned back in his chair, gaze sharp. "What would you call it then? If Cormac didn't have Finn watching the boy, there'd be no eyes on him at all."
Kess reddened. How on earth did Mebis know all this? She'd been lying to Cormac about her people watching Rafe. She stirred her tea and tried not to look as guilty as she felt.
"Let me be blunt with you, Kess." He caught her gaze and held it. "I don't care about whatever issues are troubling you. You can wallow in your brother hang-ups until the stars fall from the sky. But when those same issues blind you to the threat in your own house, then I must intervene."
"Wow, don't hold back or anything, Mebis." She couldn't keep the anger out of her voice.
"Don't be dim," he snapped. "What makes for an effective con?"
Kess sat in silence, trying to make sense of the change in subject. She thought for a moment. "I guess for it to be believable. Nobody would fall for it if they thought it was fake."
He nodded. "Precisely. The more real something seems, the easier it is to catch the mark." He stared at her, his eyes emphasizing his point.
Kess understood what Mebis was trying to tell her, but she felt she needed to argue her position. "You were there when Samara dumped Rafe in my lap. Could you fake that kind of hurt and surprise?"
"That's exactly my point. He may not even have been aware of it himself at that point. So that the shock would have been real, and designed to draw you in." He paused, bending closer to Kess. "Tell me, has there ever been a point where Rafe has been out of your sight? Where he could have been contacted by his mother or another pack member?"
When Kess didn't answer, the werejackal smiled. "I thought as much."
Kess rubbed the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache coming on. "So do I take him out to the Everglades and feed him to alligators?"
Mebis shook his head. "No, you little idiot." At her frown, he grinned. "I'm merely trying to illustrate the danger you face if you don't stop looking at Rafe through blinders of your own making and start seeing him as he truly is."
Kess sat back in her chair, going over in her head everything Mebis had said. Then she thought about the past conversations with Cormac and even Finn's throw away comments. She may not see Rafe as a threat, but she was being careless if she didn't plan for that eventuality. It was more than just her safety at stake; she had others she cared for whose lives were also on the line. "I can put guards on him to watch where he goes and
"What about Samara?" He knew as well as she did that Samara couldn't be allowed to continue as she was.
Kess held her cup in both hands, gripping it tightly. "I need to take care of her before the end of summer."
"And the boy?" Mebis sounded cold.
"Excuse me?"
"Your houseguest. What you plan to do about him?"
"I'm not sure," she answered, confused with this line of questioning. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing to do."
Mebis smiled a grim smile. "Ah ah. That might cut it with your boyfriend, but it won't hold water with me. The hyena is a potential threat. One you haven't dealt with."
"If you know something...," Kess warned.
The werejackal cut her off smoothly. "I know that you are putting yourself, your clan, and your territory at risk over an unproven stranger. That is not the decision making process of a leader, but rather of someone who is letting personal feelings cloud her judgment."
God, had he been talking to Cormac? Kess bit back an angry answer. She didn't think snapping at a Keeper would bode well for a long and healthy life. "I wouldn't say I was doing that."
"Really?" Mebis leaned back in his chair, gaze sharp. "What would you call it then? If Cormac didn't have Finn watching the boy, there'd be no eyes on him at all."
Kess reddened. How on earth did Mebis know all this? She'd been lying to Cormac about her people watching Rafe. She stirred her tea and tried not to look as guilty as she felt.
"Let me be blunt with you, Kess." He caught her gaze and held it. "I don't care about whatever issues are troubling you. You can wallow in your brother hang-ups until the stars fall from the sky. But when those same issues blind you to the threat in your own house, then I must intervene."
"Wow, don't hold back or anything, Mebis." She couldn't keep the anger out of her voice.
"Don't be dim," he snapped. "What makes for an effective con?"
Kess sat in silence, trying to make sense of the change in subject. She thought for a moment. "I guess for it to be believable. Nobody would fall for it if they thought it was fake."
He nodded. "Precisely. The more real something seems, the easier it is to catch the mark." He stared at her, his eyes emphasizing his point.
Kess understood what Mebis was trying to tell her, but she felt she needed to argue her position. "You were there when Samara dumped Rafe in my lap. Could you fake that kind of hurt and surprise?"
"That's exactly my point. He may not even have been aware of it himself at that point. So that the shock would have been real, and designed to draw you in." He paused, bending closer to Kess. "Tell me, has there ever been a point where Rafe has been out of your sight? Where he could have been contacted by his mother or another pack member?"
When Kess didn't answer, the werejackal smiled. "I thought as much."
Kess rubbed the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache coming on. "So do I take him out to the Everglades and feed him to alligators?"
Mebis shook his head. "No, you little idiot." At her frown, he grinned. "I'm merely trying to illustrate the danger you face if you don't stop looking at Rafe through blinders of your own making and start seeing him as he truly is."
Kess sat back in her chair, going over in her head everything Mebis had said. Then she thought about the past conversations with Cormac and even Finn's throw away comments. She may not see Rafe as a threat, but she was being careless if she didn't plan for that eventuality. It was more than just her safety at stake; she had others she cared for whose lives were also on the line. "I can put guards on him to watch where he goes and
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