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"Why did you ask for a ?"

"Not real friendly, are you, Trey? Can I call you Trey?"

"No"

Morelli chuckled, seehted "DaIt’s quite simple, really I’d like to propose an alliance"

"Would you," said Trey, his tone even

"I feel it would benefit us both"

"Here’s the thing I don’t like youryour pack I don’t like the rumors I’ve heard about how your Beta here"--Trey tipped his chin at Drake--"deals with people Your enforcers are constantly causing disruptions at bars and clubs and pool halls That means either you don’t have control of your pack, or you don’t care what they do Either way, that’s not the kind of Alpha I want to ally , Trey Really I’d hoped we could be friends It’s good to have friends" He stubbed out his cigar on the table "It’s true that I don’t police ht a farm We’re shifters, Trey We have a wildness inside us that humans will never understand Why should we tone it down and pretend to be e’re not? Don’t you see that it makes us seem weak to the hu with a spoiled kid If you don’t ignore their little outbursts and just carry on as nor theive in; if you do, they’ll see you as weak, and they won’t respect you"

"You’re saying you don’t police your pack because you think letting them do what they like will earn you people’s respect?" asked Trey "Let’s go back to the spoiled kid analogy You got this spoiled kid--let’s call hiuide or temper or insist on his respect, he’ll do whatever the fuck he wants and they won’t have his respect"

Morelli looked at his Beta "You respect , Drake said, "Of course I do, Alpha"

Morelli nodded at Trey, satisfied "There you go" He rubbed at his jaw "This PR workthere’s no point to it Humans will never fully accept us Never There will be a war between us and them sooner or later No matter e do or how cuddly we try to look, it will coovernment will lead it Shit, maybe our own kind will start it--I don’t know But it will cos, and I’ll tell you why that is It’s because on’t unite We won’t go out and fight as one We’ll hang back and defend our territories and our vulnerable members--it’s instinct That’s e’ll lose"

Trey lifted a brow "You’re saying we should all band together?"

"Yes I don’t justall the local packs, prides, flocks, clans, herds, and whatever else there ht be We need to be ready In order to be ready, we need to have a plan in place"