His Ghost

So You Want to Be Mates 27

It had been a week since Omar and Marcus completely upended my plans. They did so in true male Lycan style. As I sat on the high grassy bank looking over the oval.

Carter's quick and complete change of power stunned me. Despite my doubts, he must have had it all planned. It seemed impossible just 24 hours after the Cocktail party, he had changed the dynamics in his favour.

The Enforcers Unit, not the social committee, arranged the BBQ. It was not required, but all pack members were invited for a meet-and-greet. Marcus seemed to be the true drawcard, soaking up all the attention. Another team member, Slay, arrived quickly after, and the Shifters also embraced him. I was in two minds about it all.

One benefit. The loud, fake laughter and attention-seeking behaviour that previously dominated social events were gone. Now, two giant Lycans dominated. And a team of twenty Enforcers from Alaska. The Borg Pack. Carter's enforcers all knew them. The Benson pack warriors were generally aligned with the Elders, but they seemed to be loving this.

There were two big BBQ areas. They had lamb on spits. There was an enormous banquet table with condiments, salads, and bread. It was a hub of activity, and it was predominantly male at this stage.

The BBQ sizzled loudly, filling the air with the mouth-watering aroma of grilled meat. My stomach rumbled as I watched Alaska's Enforcers expertly operate the grills. They were tall, muscular men with rugged features and a level of intensity in their eyes. They made it clear that they were not to be messed with.

The Borg Pack had an air of authority and power that was intimidating and intriguing. I suspected today's activity was a soft approach to getting the pack used to having them and male Lycans around. It seemed to be working; the caution most had on arrival was now relaxed groups scattered across the oval, drinking beer and talking.

I was drawn to Carter standing off to one side with Marcus, Guy and Lincoln Borg, whom I had not yet met. I watched as Max walked over to them. Slay, Sam, and Niko were off telling wild stories to a large group of young, eager warriors. Slay would love this; he was such a showman.

I focused on Lincoln, wondering why Carter would involve him here. Although the Lycan and Shifter worlds were separated, I knew who all the players were.

Our Lycan community had one of two big problems, one of which was our declining numbers. Shifters would unite and turn on us. Taking them on was a long shot. They outnumbered us by the thousands. I knew exactly who the Borgs were. Their pack land in Alaska, near one of our noble families. The other was the old Lycan tradition of refusing to engage with the modern factions' new world.

Something Marcus, Slay, and I had argued about. It was an issue they hoped Sloan, Vichy, and I would change. It was a hot potato we had avoided. Now I sat here watching them mingling and loving it. I knew the rest of my team in the other three packs would do the same. Lycans were social, like Shifters and our old-world rules, and were choking my generation's new, younger Lycans.

Vichy, Sloan, and I struggled to pick a side. We were all introverts who loved the peace and ease of our old world, hidden from the modern world and a human, fast-paced world. I heard myself sigh; it was so loud. The realization that I may have to submit and enter this world had been heavy on my mind.

Before, it was me contemplating all this. Now, I had my whole fucking team scattered across Monet. And they loved to tell me I was wrong and why. Marcus and Carter, I noticed, had developed a quick friendship in the last few days.

I took in the current dynamics, trying to figure out Carter's end game.

Lincoln Borg was infamously unfriendly to the Shifter Council due to his pack size, independent wealth from the Alaskan oil industry, and fierce fighting. No one dared challenge him. He arrived simultaneously as Marcus and Slay moved in with Sam. Coincidentally, at the same time, Carter officially escorted Aiden off the Estate. Word was they both drove to town, and only Carter came back.