who he sees."
"Good."
"I can pull his phone records to see who he's been in contact with." She hadn't been doing that because she felt it was a breach of trust.
"Better." Mebis waved at her to go on.
Kess took a moment to think. "I can watch him myself and see if what he says and what he does jives."
Mebis nodded in approval. "Much better. Now you're thinking like the head of a clan of deadly beasts."
"Thanks, I guess." She took a sip of her tea, her mind already working on who would be the best guards for Rafe.
Mebis leaned forward, his voice pitched low. "Are you still planning to return to North Carolina?"
Kess pulled her hair forward, then realized what she was doing and forced herself to pick up her cup again. She couldn’t hide from this. The subject of whether she would stay was still a sore one. When she'd first found out about her brother's death, she'd only thought to come down and arrange the funeral and then return to the place she now considered home. But things had escalated with Samara and her werehyenas, to the point that the woman had practically declared open war. Kess knew she couldn't leave if Samara was still a threat. She wasn't sure she'd be able to leave even if the threat was neutralized.
It angered her. She didn't want to be here, stuck with the clan and all of its responsibilities. She wanted to live her own life, to not have an entire group looking to her for their continued survival. She didn't want to lead anyone. But she had to take it, at least for now. There was no one else in the clan that she could give over leadership to; she'd already suggested it to Bomani and he had shot her down. It was, in part, why the idea of a ruling council was so appealing. If she could get it set up and running properly, there was the chance that she could leave to pursue her own interests.
"Kess?" Mebis prompted her and she realized he'd been waiting for her answer while she was lost in thought.
"I don't know yet." She sighed, picking at a fingernail. "I would like to, but only if the territory is stable. And for that to happen, the hyenas need to be removed as a threat."
"Agreed." His eyes flashed toward the door and back to her. "And you may not be able to return even then. Understand?"
Kess nodded, unhappy. She knew that the Keepers would put someone of their choosing in her place if they didn't think she could do the job. What that would mean for her clan was anybody's guess. She may not have wanted it, but she had the job now and she knew she couldn't just abandon it. She couldn't abandon them. She'd left Miami, yes, but it wasn't because she disliked her people. She had left because she had no other choice.
"I do. And I know why you are still in town. You're spying on me." She let a little of the anger she was feeling come through in her voice.
Mebis smiled slyly. "I wouldn't put it that way. I'm here to watch you, yes, but I can also help."
Kess cut her eyes at him, surprised. "Help?"
It was his turn to sigh. "Fine. I'll lay a few more cards on the table for you. I want you to succeed. Me, personally." He leaned in closer, eyes burning. "I think you are the right person for this territory--so long as you keep your head in the game--and to that end, I'll help you however I can. You just have to ask."
Kess looked at him, definitely wary. "Isn't that a conflict of interest or something?"
He grinned at her, pulling back to give her space. "My orders were to observe you and to use my own discretion. There were no orders specifying non-interference."
Kess found herself smiling back. If anyone had told her six months ago that she would be back in Miami of her own free will and sharing coffee with a werejackal assassin, she'd have called the authorities to have that person committed. "Okay, fine. I'm asking."
**********
She knocked on the door of Bomani's home and waited for the older wereleopard to open the door. It was late evening, but she had called a last minute meeting
"Good."
"I can pull his phone records to see who he's been in contact with." She hadn't been doing that because she felt it was a breach of trust.
"Better." Mebis waved at her to go on.
Kess took a moment to think. "I can watch him myself and see if what he says and what he does jives."
Mebis nodded in approval. "Much better. Now you're thinking like the head of a clan of deadly beasts."
"Thanks, I guess." She took a sip of her tea, her mind already working on who would be the best guards for Rafe.
Mebis leaned forward, his voice pitched low. "Are you still planning to return to North Carolina?"
Kess pulled her hair forward, then realized what she was doing and forced herself to pick up her cup again. She couldn’t hide from this. The subject of whether she would stay was still a sore one. When she'd first found out about her brother's death, she'd only thought to come down and arrange the funeral and then return to the place she now considered home. But things had escalated with Samara and her werehyenas, to the point that the woman had practically declared open war. Kess knew she couldn't leave if Samara was still a threat. She wasn't sure she'd be able to leave even if the threat was neutralized.
It angered her. She didn't want to be here, stuck with the clan and all of its responsibilities. She wanted to live her own life, to not have an entire group looking to her for their continued survival. She didn't want to lead anyone. But she had to take it, at least for now. There was no one else in the clan that she could give over leadership to; she'd already suggested it to Bomani and he had shot her down. It was, in part, why the idea of a ruling council was so appealing. If she could get it set up and running properly, there was the chance that she could leave to pursue her own interests.
"Kess?" Mebis prompted her and she realized he'd been waiting for her answer while she was lost in thought.
"I don't know yet." She sighed, picking at a fingernail. "I would like to, but only if the territory is stable. And for that to happen, the hyenas need to be removed as a threat."
"Agreed." His eyes flashed toward the door and back to her. "And you may not be able to return even then. Understand?"
Kess nodded, unhappy. She knew that the Keepers would put someone of their choosing in her place if they didn't think she could do the job. What that would mean for her clan was anybody's guess. She may not have wanted it, but she had the job now and she knew she couldn't just abandon it. She couldn't abandon them. She'd left Miami, yes, but it wasn't because she disliked her people. She had left because she had no other choice.
"I do. And I know why you are still in town. You're spying on me." She let a little of the anger she was feeling come through in her voice.
Mebis smiled slyly. "I wouldn't put it that way. I'm here to watch you, yes, but I can also help."
Kess cut her eyes at him, surprised. "Help?"
It was his turn to sigh. "Fine. I'll lay a few more cards on the table for you. I want you to succeed. Me, personally." He leaned in closer, eyes burning. "I think you are the right person for this territory--so long as you keep your head in the game--and to that end, I'll help you however I can. You just have to ask."
Kess looked at him, definitely wary. "Isn't that a conflict of interest or something?"
He grinned at her, pulling back to give her space. "My orders were to observe you and to use my own discretion. There were no orders specifying non-interference."
Kess found herself smiling back. If anyone had told her six months ago that she would be back in Miami of her own free will and sharing coffee with a werejackal assassin, she'd have called the authorities to have that person committed. "Okay, fine. I'm asking."
**********
She knocked on the door of Bomani's home and waited for the older wereleopard to open the door. It was late evening, but she had called a last minute meeting
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