Page 67 of Blood Pearl
“You’ll get fat eating all that sweet stuff and then sitting around the Council chambers. You’ll need to get more exercise than you normally get if you’re not going to pile on the pounds.” Xavier stands there, shaking his head and scowling. “Is this what I’m to expect as a Council member?”
“Xavier. Join me. I was going to seek you out later so we could discuss your appointment to the Council.”
“You haven’t made a formal offer, as yet, and I certainly haven’t agreed to anything. This is not a decision I take lightly.”
Seeing how serious he is, I can see I’m going to have to have my negotiator’s head on, if I’m to win him over.
“Let me take you through some of the benefits of being a Council member. There will not be as much rushing around from place to place. Your life will be much more relaxed and at a steadier pace. There’ll be time to start doing all those things that you’ve wanted to do, but never had the time or the energy for.”
“That doesn’t sound like your life, Flint. I don’t see you making time for yourself. Quite the opposite, in fact. You're dashing from here to there and back again so often, it’s a wonder you don’t pass yourself coming back! You’ll have to be more convincing than that.”
Xavier takes a small plate and places a large piece of dessert on it. Taking a small bite, he waits for my response.
“I’m a little different than most. I enjoy the faster pace, hence why I have my motorcycle.” Watching his reaction carefully to see if I have been convincing, his laughter tells me I failed.
“You would have your own property nearer to the Council chambers. You could have your meals in the chamber's dining room. Prepared by our very own chef. He’s exceptionally good.”
“Flint. He’d better be more than ‘exceptionally good’ to tear me away from Cook Ivy. I’m thinking of joining Blood Pearl pack, just to have her breakfast every day. I don’t know what she did to that deer over the fire pit, but it was the best venison I’ve ever tasted. Believe me, I’ve eaten a lot of venison. It's my favorite meat.”
“With your property you could have a gardener. You could have a flower bed to the front and a vegetable and herb garden to the rear. Think of all the lovely fresh fruit and veg you could be enjoying.” I smile encouragingly at him and nod my head as though this is the best thing since sliced bread.
“Fruit and veg? Herbs? What the hell?”
I see Xavier’s attention drawn to his wolf and wait for what’s coming next. Havoc’s voice soon echoes in my head.
Flint. If you think I’m going to sit back while he becomes a ‘veggiesaurus’, you have another thing coming. We’re wolf shifters. Meat eaters. Predators. I’ve never heard of a ‘sheep shifter’ and I’m certainly not becoming one.
Too right, Havoc. I’m with you on that one! Bruno’s voice interrupts.
‘Bruno! Whose side are you on?’
The one that eats meat, Flint. You can have the salad all to yourself!
Xavier is laughing out loud, and I know I definitely lost that round.
“There would be no utility bills, so you’d have money for those things that you wanted to do!”
“The things you think I want to do. Let’s stop pussyfooting around, Flint. Why do you want me on the Council? What’s the urgency for an answer?”
“I think, no, I believe, you will be good for the Council. You have a wide knowledge base that will help us when dealing with issues like the rogues. It may be a rare occurrence, but it’s a serious one. You can bring things to the table that we currently lack.”
“And that’s the rush? The rogues are up to something. They have a power hungry ‘Alpha’ that wants to rule like a king and you need my knowledge to stop him?” Xavier tilts his head on one side and looks at me. “I don’t buy into that story at all. You’re selling yourself short, Flint. There’s more to it than that.”
“We don’t understand the need for power. Shifters aren’t normally motivated by wealth or power, so why is he? What does he expect to do if he gets the power? He can’t take over every shifter realm. Others will band together and stop him.”
“Have you approached any others with this knowledge you seek? Think carefully before you answer.”
“Others have been approached, but none with your experience. One was close, but lacked your ‘unique’ abilities.”
“And he now has his own pack to run. It was an easy deduction that Gerry would have been your first port of call.”
“Yes, he has got his own pack. So, what do you think? Are you up for the challenge?” I’m hoping this is a done deal today and something I can tick off my to do list.
“I don’t know. I have some personal considerations to take into account first. I like my life as it is. It isn’t complicated and I have my freedom to go where I want, when I want. We both know that being on the Council will have certain restrictions to that. If you need my knowledge base, I’ll help where I can, if that is allowed. As for a decision, I am not willing to commit at this time.”
“Very well. Thank you for your honesty and I hope that when you decide, you’ll join us. In the meantime, I will not press you.”
Xavier stands, gives me a head nod, and leaves me alone once again.