“It’s not that simple, Kit-Kat,” I murmured. We’d been monitoring the food and supply trucks that came and went from Blackwater to make sure no one came in undetected, but the biggest way to keep someone from slipping inside was to limit the amount of deliveries we had.
Opening up a fully functioning pipeline of supplies could also open up a way for Norwood to get people into the pack lands, and I had read The Odyssey enough to avoid a Trojan Horse situation.
“Are there any packs that we haven’t pulled in on this side of the country?” I asked Dante.
He thumbed his bottom lip thoughtfully before shaking his head. “No. From Canada to Mexico, we control the west coast now. Everyone is part of Blackwater.”
“Then maybe it’s time to start acting like it,” I said slowly.
Skye’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”
“Meaning we stop piling everyone into town and what we consider Blackwater territory,” I explained, meeting her gaze. “We reassess where our boundaries really are and work on securing those.”
“That’s a good plan,” Dante replied. “Blackwater is more than this town or the original pack lands. All these former independent packs are part of us now. If we treat it like that, packs don’t need to relocate.”
“We opened the borders to provide a sanctuary, but we’re past that now,” Katy admitted. She started to nod. “It’s a great idea. Especially if Nikolai is willing to let us spread his people out to shore up the packs that don’t have a heavy population.”
“Actually, that’s Skye’s call now,” I reminded her.
Skye’s eyes went big. “Me?”
“You’re their Alpha, babe. It’s your call.”
She shrugged. “I’m on board, but I still want to ask Nikolai where he thinks we should put people. He knows the packs that are coming and probably has a little more insight. He should be here any minute.”
I smiled at her. “Good. You two figure out where they go. Dante and Rhodes can help you figure out which packs might need the most support.”
Michael groaned. “It’s not that easy, Remy. Half of these people aren’t here for Blackwater. They’re here because of you two.” He pointed at me and then Skye.
“Why us?” Skye asked, confused.
“The bonding wave,” Katy groaned. “They want in on it.”
“It’s not something we’re selling tickets to,” I muttered, rubbing my jaw.
“Besides, the way Lulu said it, it doesn’t matter where you are. If they’re part of Blackwater, they’ll feel the effects, right?” Skye added.
“Not just Blackwater, love,” Nikolai jumped in as he came into the room with Dimitri and a sleepy looking Lulu.
“Congrats, little sister,” Dimitri chimed in with a grin. “You two also triggered a bonding wave in Europe last night.”
Skye went a little pale. “Wh-what?”
“It makes sense,” Nikolai said with a smile. “The packs all agreed to you being their Alpha. Blackwater reaps the benefits of Remy’s connection to them, and your pack receives the same benefits from you.”
“Pretty cool, right?” Lulu smiled wearily as she sat down on the far couch.
“Which means you’re now the new darling of a barrage of European and Asian packs,” Nikolai finished with a wide grin. “I just talked to leaders from most of the larger packs. I hope you don’t mind. They’re all offering whatever support you two need here.”
“See?” Michael pointed out. “This is why we have a couple hundred new bodies inside the pack lands wanting to move in.”
“We just established they don’t have to be physically near us for that,” Skye said, flustered and nervous as her eyes darted to me.
I tried not to let my frustration show. She hated being under any kind of microscope.
“People don’t have to be next to movie stars either,” Katy replied, rolling her eyes, “but they still stand in lines for hours to meet them.”
“That’s not helping, Katy,” I muttered, watching as panic started creeping into Skye’s expression.
Rhodes grimaced. “But she isn’t wrong. You two are unlike anything shifters around here have ever seen. I mean, you have Norwood and their unwavering, patriarchal ideals.”
“Good word choice,” Katy murmured with a nod.
Rhodes rolled his eyes. “Thanks. On the other side, you and Skye are showing the world what a true, united pack looks like. And that looks pretty fucking awesome.”
I met Skye’s eyes and returned the smile she offered.
Dante’s phone started to ring and he glanced down at it. “It’s Griffin. I’ll be back in a minute.”
I nodded as he headed out of the room.
“We don’t even know that another bonding … wave,” Skye made a face at the word, “will happen again.”
“Pretty sure it will,” Lulu said softly. She had kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet up onto the couch.
“You mean what happened the last few nights isn’t the end of it?” Skye asked.
“Probably not. The stronger your bond grows to each other, the more likely it will cause more people to bond. And the more packs that join, the more chances there are for people to find their mate.” Lulu gave a half-hearted shrug. “But what’s happening as a result of your bond is a good thing.”
“I know,” Skye replied quietly.
“What about when this is over?” I asked. “I plan on letting the packs reform with their own Alphas. Won’t they lose that connection?”
“People may not want to leave if that’s the case,” Michael said. “At least, not the ones who really want a bonded mate.”
“I don’t know,” Lulu answered honestly. “It’s kind of a unique situation. Most Alphas aren’t too keen on giving up their pack or part of their pack. What you two are doing has never been done.”
“See?” Nikolai tossed me a smug look. “That settles it. You two will simply be Alphas to all packs across the globe.”
“That’s not funny,” Skye said with a grimace. Her eyes jerked to mine. “Neither of us want that.”
“It’s not even a matter of want,” I said calmly. “It’s not possible. There’s no way one or two Alphas can keep the peace with thousands of shifters in a single country, let alone multiple continents. We can’t be everywhere at once, and people need to have their own leaders that they can rely on.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to be Alpha?” Nikolai questioned.
I couldn’t stop from glaring at him. “I’m saying I don’t want to be Alpha to everyone. There’s a difference.”
“There is,” he agreed. His expression changed in a begrudging look of respect. “And usually you don’t find an Alpha who can make that distinction, especially at your age.”
“So,” Dimitri said calmly. “What’s our next move?”
Dante stormed back into the room, his eyes narrowed and face pale. “Our next move is to get to Windale.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. Whatever he was about to say wasn’t going to be good.