“If I was to join his Council, what region would I be assigned to?” It was a reasonable question; my old Pack was Midwest Council, and the Three Sisters pack was Western States Council.
“The closest Pack to you is on the West Coast, so that would be the obvious choice. Given the flight distances, if you would rather choose the Midwest region, I’m sure the Council can make that accommodation.”
I closed the folder and set it to the side. “You know I’m not ready to sign this now.”
“I did not expect you to, nor would I allow it if I was your lawyer,” he said as he reached for another large shrimp. “I already told the Council that due to your busy schedule and separation from the rest of your Pack and your mate, they should not expect an answer immediately. The Chairman did ask me to obtain a commitment for when you would make that decision.”
“He got the invitation to the wedding, so he knows I’m getting married,” I said with a blush. I’d picked them out online, and Mom had sent them out a week ago. “Inform him he will have a decision by January fifteenth. That gives me time for my lawyer to review the paperwork and for me to catch up on Pack business after my honeymoon.”
“That leaves little time before the Alpha summit, which is invitation-only for members of the Council. Surely you want to attend with your unmated?”
“Of course, I want to help my Pack find their mates. I was assuming that the Council would not hold that hostage to having my signature on this paper. If the Council cannot find a way to let my people attend, I will have to work directly with other Alphas outside their authority.”
I could sense his nervousness at my answer. “The Chairman wants what is best for your Pack and the other Alphas, and that means time is of the essence. He is making a significant demonstration of the Council’s respect for your new Pack by flying for over a day to attend your wedding. Chairman Carver intends to conduct your induction ceremony into the North American Council at that time.”
“The Chairman of the European Council will be there as well,” I said evenly. “He also is flying a long distance to attend, and he comes to me to negotiate my membership, not demand it. I spoke with Chairman Svensson two days ago. Instead of demanding my Pack’s submission, he and I talked about areas we might forge cooperation and opportunities he would make available to help my new Pack. He also indicated he would grant ‘significant flexibility’ in the rules to help my isolated Pack adapt to life with the rest of the world’s wolves. That is one of my concerns, you know. The Southern Cross Pack has CENTURIES of isolation to overcome. Leo and I busy teaching them about basic things like the mate bond! What Chairman Carver wants is like taking an isolated Amazon tribe and putting them in New York, then expecting them to know and follow all the laws.”
“I didn’t realize it was that bad,” he said.
“It’s worse than you can imagine. The Europeans understand this; they see the joining of my Pack to their council as a process, not a signature.” I tapped the folder he’d given me. “It’s a far different situation than an existing Pack splitting, or an Alpha child claiming his new territory. My people will look this over, and he can expect a counter-proposal that reflects the specific needs of my people.”
“Fair enough,” he said as he took the last shrimp. He took a business card out of his pocket and slid it to me.
“I have your number,” I said.
“This is the number of Lance Coleman, the head of the Council Enforcer detachment.”
“I already told the Chairman I didn’t need his men, and I don’t trust them.”
He smiled. “I know that, but do you want to deny these men two and a half weeks of paid work in tropical hotspots when they might be useful to you? Have them secure the perimeter or something. They are highly trained security people, and Mexico is dangerous.”
I handed the card back. “My decision is final. If I see these men around me, I’m going to assume a hostile intent. I recommend you inform the Chairman of that, so there are no misunderstandings.”
“I will,” he said. “If you have no other questions, I’m going to find my wife while I still have a retirement fund left.”
We all laughed at that. “Enjoy your time here, Lawrence. What I said about the Enforcers does not apply to you or your mate. We would love to see you at our events if you have time, and maybe we can have dinner?”
“I would like that,” he said. “Enjoy your evening, ladies.”
“How did I do,” I asked the girls. They were all in my Pack now to maintain the mind link during our tour.
“You kicked ass,” Amy said. “You put the North American Council on the defensive. That part about the European Council was a masterstroke. Did Lars say all that?”
“Hell no, he called to thank me for the invitation and said he looked forward to talking in person,” I said. “It doesn’t matter if it was true or not, it will make them rethink things, and that gives me time.”
“As long as the two don’t compare notes.”
“I doubt that will happen. Lars would love to snatch our Pack out of their grasp. We should finish this food and get settled; we leave for dinner in an hour. Jamaican barbecue.”
I’d said the magic words.
*********
Jamaica had beautiful beaches, and the modeling and appearances were fun. “Can you believe this is getting boring,” I said as we rode back to the hotel. “Incredible scenery, fantastic diving, adoring crowds, and now gourmet food before retiring to a luxurious room.”
“It will be over soon, and then you can sleep in the woods all you want,” Amy said.
“I love every second of this,” Makani said. “I know I’ll probably never live like this again if I don’t keep up with modeling.”
I looked over at Noelani. “It’s a better deal than your shark expeditions. The Sea Scout looks functional, but it’s not a four-star resort on a sugar-sand beach.”
I had to laugh at that. “No room-service massages or cabana boys,” I agreed. “It’s going to be rough.”
The next day, we set out for a place that was not our typical shark dive. We worked through a mermaid family that ran a diving charter, and they had obtained special government permission to dive a restricted area. Our expert was Dr. Henry Smallworth, an underwater archaeologist from the Institute of Jamaica, a man in his fifties with a permanent smile and a salt-and-pepper beard. “How much farther, Henry?”
“Another five miles,” he said. We gathered around as he told us the story. “The Spanish held Jamaica, and the English took it over in 1655. The harbor at Port Royal was the finest in the Caribbean, and the English Privateers grew rich raiding Spanish shipping. Port Royal rapidly grew into what was called ‘the most wicked and sinful city in the world.’ Gold, jewelry, booze, women, slaves; it was all traded there. By the late 1600s, it was the second-largest city in the New World behind Boston. Pirates made it their base, and wickedness abounded until God ended it in one minute.”
“What happened,” Makani said.
“On the morning of June 7, 1692, a magnitude 7. 5 earthquake hit. Port Royal was a city built on a foundation of sand. The shaking caused buildings to fail and roadways to sink into the ocean. In moments, entire neighborhoods disappeared, and thousands died. Some got sucked into the ground like quicksand; others died when buildings fell or drowned when the waters came. Those who survived the earthquake watched in horror as tsunami waves wiped the earth clean of what remained.”
“That’s horrible,” Noelani said.
“Two thousand people died, and thirty-three acres of the city sank under the waves. That’s where we are diving today; the Sunken City of Port Royal.” As we arrived at the edge of the dive zone, Henry explained the rules; obviously, we could not disturb or remove any of the objects, and we had to stay together under his escort. The diving was in depths of fifty to eight feet of water, meaning we’d get a few good dives in between the mandatory rest periods. “Anchoring isn’t allowed, so this boat will use its engines to control its drift as we swim. We will swim legs roughly parallel to shore, starting in the deeper water.”