Trying to sneak into a room full of shifters that are ready for war was not as fun as it sounded. The image of a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs came to mind. In this case, the rocking chairs were half of her armoury and she was the cat.              So here she was, looking for her mate in a dark room full of armed shifters. The only thing she could think of was the word crazy. It kept ringing through her head.              Finally, Yolanda found him in a lower bunk by the far corner of the entrance. She stood there, looking at him. Yolanda so wanted to climb in beside him. But wouldn’t look good from any angle. If she shook him, he’d make noise in a panic.              Okay, goin

             Yolanda and Ian finally got out of their cottage. They returned to the packhouse and promptly found breakfast platters in their hands, thanks to a rather perky Hilda.             “The dining room is still available for those eating up here, but the buffet won’t be until lunch, and you’ll find that served in the main lobby to go only. We’ve more soldiers than we have spaces for. At least the Bears and Vampires are feeding themselves. Everyone else is in the dining room, so mind the crowd, and no, the sitting rooms are off limits to food. I’m not clean sofas and carpets again.” Hilda puttered about the kitchen serving area, adjusting various containers.             She’d clearly organized the various meals by dietary needs of the now vari

             Most of the people left the room. In the entrance lobby of the packhouse, several tables lay set up. One filled with various snack foods, another with an array of hot and cold drinks. The last two had nothing displayed yet. Yolanda assumed those were for the meals to come. The line formed up the stairs as people picked up their drinks and snacks, then moved on. It took a few minutes to get there, and they all grabbed a drink.             “Did I miss how long before we reconvene, or was it not mentioned?” Jaxon frowned over a hot mocha chocolate coffee.             “Normally, these ambassadors like a half an hour break. This lets them get their asses together. I swear if you listen to Edith talk sometimes, they make it their missing to screw up everyone else&rs

             Yolanda watched the last of the enforcers leave. Two came in carrying a third’s gear. That third enforcer lay in the Medical Center and her people prayed she’d pull through. Other groups complained about barely getting away with their hides intact. They’d pushed the Fae back away from the humans, but the toll on the secret of their existence was high. The Mages and Fianna struggled now covering up the mess. From finding video and eyewitnesses, to coming up with reasonable excuses. It became a grim task.             Ian offered to go into the field and head off some reports by creating unbelievable conspiracy theories. After all, his old job was to investigate these things and find the truth behind it. What better way to stop people from hunting a monster than to say the police are on its tail?    &n

             “One day to do all this. How are we going to ensure that’s what happens?”             “There’s a group there right now that’s recorded routines and potential informants. We’ll walk in with targets selected for us. Arianna will get to pick which person she speaks with. It’s our just to ensure that she stays safe. You are a backup if we need a cover story. Think about it. If there’s any media coverage. You’re investigating and have no comment. Not only will it cover up what we’re doing, but any smart investigative reporter will target the cult. In investigating them, it puts the cult into the public eye and makes it harder for them to continue doing whatever it is they’re trying to do.”              &ld