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Authors: Kate Baray
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been very forthcoming on personal details, but I think it’s more his personality than actual secrecy. I’ve got his business card and car registration—or I will if you’ll go out in the parking lot and write down his license plate number,” Lizzie said with a mischievous smile.
Kenna nodded her head. “Of course. I’ll touch base with one of my contacts and have a time frame for you shortly.”
“The red Chevy pickup,” Lizzie added.
“ And I’d be glad to snoop around his car a bit. That’s what he gets for being so closed-mouthed.” Kenna smirked. “Serves him right.”
Kenna stopped and looked carefully at Lizzie. “I’m assuming your gut feeling about this guy is good, or you wouldn’t even be considering this trip?”
“I like him,” Lizzie said. And that was apparently enough for Kenna. For now.
Chapter 10
Settling int o her seat in the café, Lizzie removed the tea bag from her cup. “Do you have a super-secret lair where you all meet? Because I’m very confused how,”—she lowered her voice—“werewolves can be real and no one knows about you. And before you ask, I’m a huge Batman fan. I will be very disappointed if there is no lair.”
Lizzie took a drink of her over-steeped, too-strong tea. Darn it. She got a little distracted by an invitation to rub shoulders with the inhabitants of a non-existent culture, and she ruined a perfectly good beverage. Maybe her perspective was a little skewed these days, but worrying about the little things kept her from completely losing her sanity.
John leaned back in his chair a little, his full lips tipping up slightly at the corners. “Cute. Sorry to disappoint, but there’s no super-secret location, and no lair. Our headquarters is a house. You’d be our guest at a local bed and breakfast, if you decide to come. It’s not far, just a little northeast of here. Austin is actually pretty centrally located within our territory.
“ If you agree, I’ll be trapped in a car with you, so you can grill me at length and I can’t get away.” He grinned a bit at that, so Lizzie refrained from taking offense. He really had lightened up. She had asked a lot of questions. “And I’ll get you a rental car when you arrive, so you’ll be free to check out the local sights…or leave whenever you like.”
Lizzie skirted the question of visiting the pack, but asked him what he could tell her about them now.
He straightened in his chair, so that he was sitting completely upright again. Less at ease, John asked, “What exactly do you want to know?”
“Well, start with how Record Keepers fit in with the pack, I guess.”
“The Texas Pack….” He stopped at her raised eyebrows. “How about I start with some basics of pack structure. Then, Record Keepers.”
At her eager nod, he continued.
“ Lycan—that’s what we call ourselves—form family and social groups, called packs. A Lycan pack is a group delineated by geography, shared history, culture, and tradition. The Texas Pack’s territory roughly follows the borders of the state. Although, there are many similarities between packs, each has its own governance and laws which are particular to their pack. For example, most packs still have a pack leader. Practically speaking, the role serves different functions within different packs, but it exists in every pack I’m familiar with.”
As he spoke, he got more comfortable. Lizzie hated to interrupt for fear she would stem the flow of information. When he paused and didn’t continue, she asked “ And Record Keepers? And the book?”
“ Hmm. You’ve already pointed out our secret is well-maintained. One of the ways we remain hidden, is to prohibit unsecured written records of our society. This prohibition crosses pack lines.”
Lizzie let out an, “Oh!” When he smiled mildly at her, she continued. “That makes sense. You use the magical record books because it shields werewolves—sorry, Lycan—from exposure and still allows you
Kenna nodded her head. “Of course. I’ll touch base with one of my contacts and have a time frame for you shortly.”
“The red Chevy pickup,” Lizzie added.
“ And I’d be glad to snoop around his car a bit. That’s what he gets for being so closed-mouthed.” Kenna smirked. “Serves him right.”
Kenna stopped and looked carefully at Lizzie. “I’m assuming your gut feeling about this guy is good, or you wouldn’t even be considering this trip?”
“I like him,” Lizzie said. And that was apparently enough for Kenna. For now.
Chapter 10
Settling int o her seat in the café, Lizzie removed the tea bag from her cup. “Do you have a super-secret lair where you all meet? Because I’m very confused how,”—she lowered her voice—“werewolves can be real and no one knows about you. And before you ask, I’m a huge Batman fan. I will be very disappointed if there is no lair.”
Lizzie took a drink of her over-steeped, too-strong tea. Darn it. She got a little distracted by an invitation to rub shoulders with the inhabitants of a non-existent culture, and she ruined a perfectly good beverage. Maybe her perspective was a little skewed these days, but worrying about the little things kept her from completely losing her sanity.
John leaned back in his chair a little, his full lips tipping up slightly at the corners. “Cute. Sorry to disappoint, but there’s no super-secret location, and no lair. Our headquarters is a house. You’d be our guest at a local bed and breakfast, if you decide to come. It’s not far, just a little northeast of here. Austin is actually pretty centrally located within our territory.
“ If you agree, I’ll be trapped in a car with you, so you can grill me at length and I can’t get away.” He grinned a bit at that, so Lizzie refrained from taking offense. He really had lightened up. She had asked a lot of questions. “And I’ll get you a rental car when you arrive, so you’ll be free to check out the local sights…or leave whenever you like.”
Lizzie skirted the question of visiting the pack, but asked him what he could tell her about them now.
He straightened in his chair, so that he was sitting completely upright again. Less at ease, John asked, “What exactly do you want to know?”
“Well, start with how Record Keepers fit in with the pack, I guess.”
“The Texas Pack….” He stopped at her raised eyebrows. “How about I start with some basics of pack structure. Then, Record Keepers.”
At her eager nod, he continued.
“ Lycan—that’s what we call ourselves—form family and social groups, called packs. A Lycan pack is a group delineated by geography, shared history, culture, and tradition. The Texas Pack’s territory roughly follows the borders of the state. Although, there are many similarities between packs, each has its own governance and laws which are particular to their pack. For example, most packs still have a pack leader. Practically speaking, the role serves different functions within different packs, but it exists in every pack I’m familiar with.”
As he spoke, he got more comfortable. Lizzie hated to interrupt for fear she would stem the flow of information. When he paused and didn’t continue, she asked “ And Record Keepers? And the book?”
“ Hmm. You’ve already pointed out our secret is well-maintained. One of the ways we remain hidden, is to prohibit unsecured written records of our society. This prohibition crosses pack lines.”
Lizzie let out an, “Oh!” When he smiled mildly at her, she continued. “That makes sense. You use the magical record books because it shields werewolves—sorry, Lycan—from exposure and still allows you
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