Alec nodded his agreement. «The hole on the council didn’t help matters, though. None of ’em dared jump until they knew who’d be at their backs. There’s no system set up for something like that — Coleman’s challenger should have taken his seat. If he’d died in an accident, his son might take his spot, but they’re weren’t going to let his daughter have that seat, even if she wanted it.»
«My cousin, Veronica.» Julio shook his head. «It’s the last thing she ever planned for. Don’t think Uncle Cesar never considered the Maglieri precedent, though.»
Andrew’s brows drew together. «What does that mean?»
«When her husband died, Enrica Maglieri took over his council seat — and then his spot on the Conclave. Cesar would like to do the same thing with Coleman’s wife — my Aunt Teresa. The Mendozas would have two council members.»
Understanding dawned in Andrew’s eyes. «And she could back all of his plays.»
«Yeah,» Alec said. «Except Enrica Maglieri is a stone-cold alpha bitch who had the strength to trample over all the men in her council.» Teresa Coleman — Teresa Mendoza, again, he supposed, with Noah finally gone — was a woman beaten down by time and her own brutal husband. She’d never have the strength to take a council seat, or the ruthlessness needed to keep one.
Derek seemed to make the same connection and took it to the next logical step — the same one Carmen had seen so clearly from her vantage point outside of the system. «So you need someone to back your plays.» His gaze found Julio, then Andrew. «Two someones.»
Julio groaned and covered his face. Andrew, on the other hand, seemed oblivious as he nodded. «Derek’s a logical choice. That empty seat is already his by tradition.»
Any hint of easygoing relaxation vanished from Derek’s face. «I’m married. And my wife’s sister is the one person these wolves pretty much universally fear and loathe. I’ll be damned before I do anything that’ll draw that much attention to Michelle and her kid.»
«Then I don’t understand.»
«You, Andrew.» Derek leaned forward, his gaze intense. «Alec wants you to take over the world with him.»
He must have understood after all, at least on some level, because his answer was immediate — and absolute. «Like hell.»
Alec choked back a sigh. «Julio, Derek? Would you two give us a minute?»
Julio held Alec’s gaze as he backed toward the door. «I’ll stand and I’ll fight, Jacobson, but I hope you know what you’re doing.»
The first test of leadership — and one he was long accustomed to. He knew how to be confident for the people counting on him. «Wouldn’t start a fight I couldn’t end. Count on that.»
Derek was slower to leave. He met Andrew’s gaze, ignoring Alec completely. «Say the word and I’ll stay.»
But the blond man shook his head. «I’m good. Go.»
The door clicked shut behind Derek, and Alec turned to face Andrew squarely. «This isn’t some tiny thing I’m asking of you. Julio’s got legacy. I’ve got legacy. You’d be rocking their pretty little world to its core.»
«Yeah, no kidding.» Andrew dropped to a chair with a snort. «Will it help? Is this stunt something that could put you — all of us — in place to really change some shit?»
That was the question. «I could hold my own against the Conclave, if I needed to. Give the Alpha someone at his back who wants the same changes he does. He’s been fighting on his own for a long damn time. But I can’t focus on that if I’ve got to worry about the Southeast council sticking a knife in my back.»
«And that’s where Julio and I come in, right? Make sure the rest of them aren’t planning to dogpile you.»
«That, and keep this region running.» Alec turned to the desk and dug through the stack of files until he found the one pertaining to the various councils. He’d kept up with the information because knowing was important if you wanted to stay safe outside the system, and now he could use it to get in.
A worn and creased map was tucked between two lists of council members, and Alec pulled it out and unfolded it on the table. «Southeast region,» he said, jabbing his finger at Louisiana. «Us. Arkansas. Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, both of the Carolinas, both of the Virginias, and Kentucky. Right now there are council members in DC, Memphis, Miami, Charleston and Atlanta.»
«Jesus.» Andrew studied the map, his jaw set in a tense line. «What does a council member do?»
«When they’re doing their job? Mediate disputes between cities, sometimes within cities. Use tithes collected from the packs under their protection to provide resources. Fund clinics, like Franklin’s. Deal with problems that might expose us, pass judgment on minor infractions. Just…keep people safer.»
He sat back and flashed Alec a disbelieving look. «You already do half that stuff here.»
«Yeah. I do.» He gave Andrew the truth. «And I was thinking you’d step up to help me, sooner rather than later. Julio would be a lot of help, but you’re the one I need at my back. You’re the one I trust with my city.»
Andrew made the logical leap easily. «If you take the Conclave seat, you’ll be spending most of your time in New York. Like Nick’s dad.»
Something else Alec could only hope Carmen had realized. Uneasiness stirred, and he fought it back. «I’d have to be there a lot. But that doesn’t mean we can’t run things differently. Hell, if I give Kat enough money, she’ll build some magical computer shit that’ll make it seem like I’m on hand 24/7.»
«It doesn’t matter anyway, does it?» Andrew rose and paced across the room. «I’ll do it. We’ll all do it, because there isn’t anything else to do. We have to take care of things.»
«It’s who you are now. Who you’ll always be.»
He turned his gaze on Alec. «No time like the present, I guess. I’m in.»
Alec should have left it there. He should have counted his victory. But Andrew was more than just a mentee. More than a trusted lieutenant. Andrew was a friend, and he hurt, whether he could admit or not. «Is it going to be too much? Having to work with Julio when his little brother’s…» Climbing all over Kat.
«He’s not responsible for what his brother does.»
Andrew’s voice held an implacable edge that made it clear the topic of Kat was off-limits. «Fine. Stick your head out the door and drag those other two back in here, would you?»
Only Julio came back in. «Derek had to go find Nick. I think it’s just us, anyway.»
Better to keep Derek out of it. Alec shuffled through the files again, remembering what he’d said to Carmen the other day. «Drummond Hughes is the worst of the lot. He’s the one who claimed Coleman’s empty seat. He did it by killing every challenger who came against him, even though challenges at the council level are almost never to the death.»
«He’s a vicious bastard,» Julio agreed.
«Then he’s mine.» Andrew growled the words.
No more protecting him. Alec nodded and handed over the file. «You should go to Zola and Walker. Walker’s got experience in fights to the death. I’m sure he knows things neither of us would consider.» And if they were about to bring down the wrath of the wolves, it was only fair to warn the only lion pride in the United States. Zola might even be an ally— if she thought the risk was worth it.
Two more files lay on his desk. Alec glanced up at Julio. «I know you and Alan Reed have had your problems, but he’s a capable leader. And he’s fair, when you’re not boning his daughter.»
«Yeah, I know.» The younger man had the grace to blush a little. «He’s not a bad guy, and he’ll go with the flow. All he needs to do the right thing is a push in that general direction.»