The Feline Gaze

Alastair might not like me, but I don’t think he’d resist participating in something like this just because of our past. He’s not that cruel. He can be narrow-minded and frustrating and difficult to deal with, but he also wants what’s best for Tigress and Lyon County as a whole. That’s why he’s in real estate, after all. Alastair likes being able to help craft the world into a better and more wonderful place.

So, what’s the deal?

Then it hits me, and I feel like a complete idiot for not realizing it sooner.

“He’s going to cut you out of the will,” I say. His father owns almost everything in Lyon County. Jacob Cambridge is more than just Alastair’s dad: he’s the mayor. He’s a rich mayor, too. He made his money long ago from clever investing and ruthless governing. He’s not going to go quietly into the grave when it’s time for him to leave this world. He’s certainly not going to be free with how his money is distributed. Leave it to the old man to try to hold this over his son’s head.

“I haven’t told Melanie,” Alastair says. He looks up at me finally. He’s devastated. He’s torn apart. “You can’t tell anyone, Matthew, and you have to understand.”

“Understand what, exactly? You don’t want to expand to have more versatile offerings for different kinds of shifters? You’re going to fight to keep this city as tiger-exclusive as possible? And why? Because some old asshole who doesn’t even like you is holding money over your head?”

I’m totally disgusted with the situation. Alastair needs to man up and tell his dad to fucking shove it. Right? That’s what he needs to do. That’s what I would do. Who cares if his dad doesn’t want to leave him anything? What does it matter?

Then again, my dad left a long time ago.

Maybe I’ve never really gotten over it.

I don’t want to fall into the trap of projecting my own problems onto Alastair. This isn’t really about me or my own failed relationships. I do think, though, that he needs to seriously consider what he’s saying. If he doesn’t help the shifters of Lyon County and he doesn’t stand up to his dad, something tells me that Alastair is going to regret it. He’s going to have a hard time learning to deal with the trouble that comes after such a decision.

“You don’t understand,” Alastair says. He swallows hard. For such a powerful man, he looks weak.

Scared.

“Then make me,” I say simply. “Because from where I’m sitting, it kind of sounds like you only care about tigers. What about everyone else?” I say quietly. “This entire town has grown and flourished because it’s a haven for shifters, but there are more people in the world than tigers. There are owls who need places they can fly freely at night and hunt and be away from civilization. There are cats who need corners they can slink around and spaces where they aren’t going to be hauled off to animal control before they can shift back. There are puppies and snakes and fucking alligators who all need homes. We can provide that.”

Alastair looks up at me and for just a second, I think he’s going to listen to reason. I think he’s going to tell me that it’s going to be okay, but then he drops his head, shaking it.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “There’s nothing I can do.”

“Then I guess I’ve wasted my time,” I say. I stand up, and I leave the office. I close the door behind myself, but I’m careful not to slam it. I’m beyond pissed right now, but I’m not going to lose control. Not at a time like this. I want Alastair on my side, but I’m not going to fight him for it. If he doesn’t really believe that all shifters deserve access to the same things, then that’s his problem. It’s not mine. I can’t force someone to believe what’s right. I can’t force him to be a good person, but damn. I can’t believe he’s actually giving in to his dad.

Angrily, I start to storm out of the real estate building. I can’t fucking believe this. I’m not asking for much. Hell, I didn’t even ask for a full merger. I just asked that we get together and discuss some options for meeting the needs of our town’s citizens. The mayor is going to be up for re-election soon and something tells me that shifter housing is going to be high on the priority list this year. The people of Tigress want change. They’re interested in change. They want new things and new people and new growth.

People are going to want to know that they’ll have a place to live.

They’re going to want to know that they’ll have a place in Tigress.

They’ll w

ant to know they’re going to be understood and cared for and that the community is going to accept them for who they are. That’s only the current citizens. What about the college students who rent in this town? What about all of the people who need places to live? What about the shifters who are looking for a place they can belong?

What about them?

If we don’t make changes to Lyon County now, then it’s going to be too late.

We have to grow.

We have to change.

We have to adapt.

It’s the shifter way, so what can I possibly do to convince Alastair?

Chapter 7

Cassidy

“Stop staring at the phone,” Danielle says.