The Bare Truth part 2

Chapter 11

Slowly, Sierra sat back down in her chair. Her mind was a whirlwind of panic. She did her best to contain her emotions, and not reveal anything he might not already know.

Summoning her best dumb blond expression, she said to Dorrian, "You want what?"

"Don't do that," he told her as he helped himself to more cheese. "Don't play dumb with me, Sierra. You don't need to give me a reason to hurt you."

Sierra found herself thinking about how her claws had easily sliced through tree bark. She stared back at him fearlessly.

"I very much doubt you could hurt me," she said.

Dorrian chuckled.

"Ah, yes. You newborns always think you're invincible. Tell me Sierra, are you capable of running without careening into the trees yet?"

"I don't know what you're-"

"Don't do that," he told her again. "It's tiresome. Now, if I designed to, I could tear your heart out with my teeth and eat it faster than you could even dream of shifting. So please, stop playing coy, and let's talk business."

He said this as calmly as if he had been discussing the weather.

With dawning realization, Sierra said, "You were the one in the woods that night. You were watching us."

"Clever girl. Yes. Myself, and my associates witnessed your little tumble in the woods."

Sierra decided not to ask if he was referring to her falling down or making love with Joe. His creepy smile suggested he might well have meant both.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. Looking into his eyes, she didn't doubt that he would kill her right here just to make a point. There was something sociopathic about the way he could so coolly describe eviscerating her while sipping his glass of bordeaux. Around them, life proceeded as normal. The café patrons chatted happily with each other, read newspapers, and ate their baguettes, blissfully unaware of the danger.

"Do you believe in anarchy?" he asked her.

"What?" Sierra asked, bewildered by the shift in conversation.

"Do you believe that society can remain civilized in the absence of government?"

"No," Sierra said after some hesitation.

She wondered where on earth this was going.

"Nor do I," Dorrian replied. "Which is why I believe it is a mistake that shifters in this country remain largely ungoverned. They tend to fall into loose geographical conglomerations. Most of those are overseen by an Alpha or sometimes a council. But those Alphas are not held accountable by anyone. They all make their own rules. And that's not even accounting for the many shifters living outside the pack structure. It's chaos. Such ineffective management is what could lead to our discovery. What would have happened if someone shot the shifter that attacked you in the street? And I hear you were just admitted to the hospital? We simply can't have mistakes like this occurring if we wish to continue to avoid human detection."

"Those things weren't Joe's fault," Sierra protested.

"Joe's Alpha," Dorrian countered. "That makes it his responsibility to ensure accidents like these do not occur. Still, I can't expect constant perfection, and he's doing a better job than most. The pack I acquired last week in Lexington were eating so many humans the police thought they had a serial killer. So if he agrees to my terms, I would be willing to keep him on as Alpha."

"What are your terms?" Sierra asked.

Dorrian smiled and reached into his briefcase. He produced a legal document at least forty pages long and passed it to Sierra. He then produced a second document twice as long as the first. The first was headed "Merger Agreement". The second "Constitution of the Shifters Alliance of the United States of America". Sierra scanned them briefly.

"I currently control fifty-eight packs in the North Eastern and Central United States. Sleuth will be the first of many Western packs. Each pack is managed by their independently selected Alpha, but I set the laws and maintain the authority to remove and replace that Alpha I necessary. As Omega, I oversee all the packs, make sure they follow the laws, pay taxes, and provide for them as needed."

"And what if we don't want to join your little totalitarian state?"

Dorrian paused. He set down his wine glass and looked her in the eye.

"Then I will slaughter one third of the population your little town and leave one of my own people in charge. And I'll take you back to New York with me, where I'll keep you in a little cage and use you as I see fit."

And then he smiled.

Dorrian stood up. He carefully set some money of the table for the check, finished off his wine, and turned to go.

"Tell Joe he has a week to think it over."

He brushed one long finger over her bare shoulder as he walked out. Sierra's skin crawled under his touch. The door shut behind him with a faint tinkle of the welcome bell. Sierra was left at the table, alone, clutching the papers in shaking hands.