Mates & Allies

His hair still damp from the shower, Jett sat on the couch in the camper with Tavo next to him. Colt was cuddled on his other side, trying hard not to fall asleep after their activities in the shower building and his marking Tavo. Jett struggled against the urge to run his fingers over the fresh marks on ponyboy’s neck. If someone had asked him whether he’d be mated to two wolves and a horse, well he’d agree with them about Tavo.

“Kole told me to talk to a cougar named Randy. He unlocked the phone we found on him and gave me Randy’s number. I texted him and he said he was expecting to hear from me and we’re meeting tomorrow.” Jett glanced at Tavo. “I’m sorry, but I’m going alone.”

“No.” Tavo countered. “You need someone with you, even if Randy doesn’t see them.”

“Tavo has a point,” Deke said. “No one goes alone. No one goes without backup.”

Colt nodded sleepily.

“Besides, if you’re going to work with him, we need to know how he feels about us. Having Deke or Colt there might set off alarms since they’re predators. But I’m just a horse.” Tavo shrugged and tried to look innocent.

Jett hated that his mate was talking about himself in that manner, but he understood the truth behind the words. “You have a point,” he conceded. “But not about being just a horse. If we’re going to work with Randy and whoever else he’s working with, and damn I wish I knew, then we need to know he’s cool.” Jett sighed. “I never knew just how much the claw disregarded you and Redsand. Hell, Aristotle pretty much rules the county and probably a good bit beyond. If it weren’t for Redsand we probably wouldn’t have water, electricity, a cell tower…” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think the claw understood how much your herd really did for us, and I hate that. I hate that for you and them, and I hate that my claw was so petty and stupid.”

“If it helps, I’ve dealt with worse,” Deke said. “Shifters United has dealt with worse, and they’re behind you all the way.”

“That helps, thanks,” Jett said. “So I’m going to meet with Randy tomorrow, and I guess we’re going to talk about how to take out Zeb. I have to think that if it were easy, or even possible, they would have done so already. So there’s a reason why they haven’t, and I’m just going to have to find out what it is.”

~* * *~

In the end Tavo went to the fast food place across the street and sat by the window so he’d have a good view of Jett’s table. Jett and agreed to meet Randy at Debbie’s Diner, a homely place with plenty of tables, a great breakfast menu, and usually half full at any time of day or night. Meeting there wasn’t subtle, and in a way, Jett appreciated that Randy didn’t do subtle. Either Zeb’s claw didn’t hold any sway here or Randy didn’t care if Zeb got word of this meeting. Jett didn’t like it.

Randy was probably five years older than he was, a large, muscled man who clearly had done a lot of heavy labor in his life, with lines bracketing his eyes. Salt and pepper stubble covered his chin and jaw, and his brown eyes were wary, but not mean. Jett got the sense he could work with him, and perhaps even gain an ally.

The waitress, a tall woman with graying blond hair whose name tag read Enna, brought over a pot of coffee and two mugs. “Cream or sugar?” she asked.

“Cream, please,” Jett said. Randy took his coffee black.

She set down two menus, and as her sleeve drew up her arm, Jett noticed scars from claw marks on her skin. They were old, faded, and could have been from anything, but Jett recognized cougar marks. She didn’t smell shifter, and shifters probably wouldn’t scar like that, so she had to be human.

Randy didn’t even look at his menu, so he must eat here pretty often. Jett perused the breakfast selections and when Enna returned, ordered a stack of pancakes, along with their two egg platter that came with hashbrowns and bacon. Randy ordered biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon.

Once food was ordered, Jett let a little of his alpha energy through and looked at Randy. “I’ve talked to Kole,” Jett said. In fact, he and Kole had shared a good, long conversation this morning. The cougar was coming around and was firmly on Jett’s side. He’d shared more about Zeb, how he ran the claw, and also his bitch of a step-mother’s plans. “Kole suggested you. So I think the first thing I should ask is why do you want to get rid of your leader and what makes you think I’ll be any better.”

Randy smiled. “That you even think to ask that question makes you a better choice than Zeb.” He took a long drink of his coffee. “I know your step-mother is trying to screw you over, that you, not her son, should have been your father’s heir. Instead, they treated you like shit. Hell, she’s been bragging about it, and about how they will cull any half-breed shifters from the claw to get rid of the weak lines.”

Rage bubbled inside Jett. He’d known, he could imagine this was how his step-mother would act, but Randy was just laying it out on the table like a fresh set of silverware and a paper place mat, and about as classy. The implication was clear. He just needed a box of crayons, and he could flip over the place mat and do the children’s coloring exercises in her mind, and even then she’d probably find something to complain about.

“So you think I’ll get pissed, go in and take out Zeb and my step-mother. What if I’ve moved on? What if I want to move on?” He asked the questions that had been churning in his mind ever since the first conversation with Kole. “I have mates and one of them leads the lone wolves. I’m not looking to create a microcosm of Shifters United. Wolves, mustangs, and cougars, oh my! I frankly just want to get on with my life.”

“Which is why you need to challenge Zeb. Look, I’m not saying its going to be easy. But there are several of us in the claw who want to move forward. We are tired of the old ways. And your step-mother’s beliefs about half-shifters is just bigoted. There are a couple claw members with human mates. They’ll back you. I’ll back you.”

“Who won’t back me?”

“Zeb has two lieutenants, his second and a third. They won’t back you, and there are a few claw members who will get growly about being taken over, but they’ll fall into line rather than fight. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I can get those who support you together, and we’ll have your back during the challenge.”

“But it’s up to me to take out Zeb and those who support him.” Jett sipped his coffee, then paused while the waitress brought their food. It looked delicious, and he was surprised at his appetite. As soon as she left, he tucked into his meal. “And what do you want me to do with the claw? What resources do you have? Why do you think you can take me away from my mates?”

Randy explained Zeb’s claw actually was pretty well resourced, and in fact had wanted to join Shifters United, but Zeb was stalling. That would make Deke happy, Jett thought, and help with crowd control because Shifters United would have some sway in keeping things under control. Mostly they want Jett to bring them into the modern era, one where shifters stood in solidarity with one another instead of constantly at each other’s throats.

He’d found family in his mates, even as his own had turned away from him. His step-mother deserved whatever she got because of her treatment of him and his father; Jett would hold no regrets for what he’d have to do. Taking on a claw, even with the help of his mates, seemed overwhelming.

“You’re hoping I’d take out Zeb and then step away, leaving someone who is in the claw already to take over, aren’t you?” He asked with a sudden realization. Finishing his breakfast, he refilled his coffee mug and set the empty plates toward the edge of the table for their server to pick up.

Randy nodded as he finished his breakfast, using the last of the coffee pot to refill his mug. The efficient server came past their table, sweeping away their empty plates and offering a refill on the coffee, which they accepted.

“That might be for the best,” Randy agreed. “But we wouldn’t force the issue.”

“At least you’re honest with me. That’s more than she ever was.” Jett stirred some creamer into his refilled coffee cup. “And if I want to stay, I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder all the time.” Why the hell was the thinking that, Jett wondered. He didn’t want a claw. He didn’t want to stay. And yet…aside from the deliciousness of taking over the claw his step-mother wanted, this was what he’d been born to do, even if he hadn’t realized it until now.

Shit, was this how Deke had felt about tapping into his own alpha? And why Stetson and Colt were so touchy about taking on leadership, because they’d been raised to think they didn’t deserve it, and it was only by becoming their mate that Colt was starting to step into his power. Reclaim it. As he probably should, Jett realized. Not that he expected to go all touchy feely on the subject, but he also knew it was the truth.

He glanced out the window at Tavo and nodded, hoping his mate knew everything was okay; everything would be okay. He reached for the mate bond and sent reassurance along it. This was going to take a while. He had a feeling they’d occupy this table until either the restaurant looked full enough to need it or they were done. He looked at Randy. “We’re going to be here a while,” he said. “I’m calling my mate over. Got a problem with that?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t sooner. Like I’ve been trying to tell you. We want to do things differently.”

Jett caught Tavo’s eye and motioned for him to come over. The coffee was probably better here, and when their waitress walked past the table, Jett asked for another place setting, more coffee, and a menu. Tavo deserved something better than fast food.

He waited until Tavo entered the diner, his nerves settling now that his mate was about to be by his side. He moved over in the booth, letting Tavo slide in next to him. “Figured you’d want something to eat,” he said, then let his thigh brush against his mate’s under the table.

“Thanks.” A few moments later the waitress came and took Tavo’s order. “So I take it you’re okay with me and with our mates?” he asked Randy directly.

“You wouldn’t be here if we weren’t, but yeah. I’ve been trying to convince Jett that we’re not like his father and step-mother. We want membership in Shifters United, and we want Jett to take over.”

“Good.” Tavo reached for Jett’s hand and ran his thumb along the back in a gesture that made it difficult for Jett not to think about that same hand on a different part of his anatomy. “Bring me up to speed, and then I want to know how Redsand can help.”

By the time the conversation finished Jett had a good idea of what was going down with the claw and when he’d be called upon to take over. Randy offered to cover the tab, which Jett appreciated though he would have done so as well, and soon they left the restaurant with Jett taking care of a generous tip.

Jett and Tavo walked silently to Tavo’s truck, not speaking until they were backing out of the parking lot and well on their way back to the pack.

“So what do you think?” Tavo asked. “Are you going to claim the claw?”

“Yeah, I think I have to,” Jett said. “My step-mother broke it. It’s going to be up to me to fix it.”