Cherise rises as I whistle for Storm. The dog’s there in seconds. When she sees who we’ve met, she growls.
“Yeah, I know,” Dalton says. “We’d have preferred hostiles.”
“Now, now, don’t be rude,” Cherise says. “I think I might be able to help with that.”
“With what?” I ask.
“Your hostile problem.”
“If there’s a hostile problem, it’s yours, too. Everyone out here is affected.”
“We can deal with the wild people. You’re the ones who riled them up by killing their leader.”
“Because their leader attacked us and—” I stop myself. “I’m not here to argue. If you have information, let’s talk trade. It won’t be worth much, though. The hostiles have been quiet lately.”
Her burst of laughter has me cursing my misstep.
“They left two people in pieces,” Cherise says.
I try not to give anything away in my expression as I say, calmly, “Two people were left in that condition by animal predation.”
“Oh, don’t mince words, Casey. The wild people killed them. Animals just ate the remains. We heard you two yesterday and got a look. We also overheard you talking to your sister. You believe it was a hostile attack. On outsiders.”
I glance at Dalton. He lifts one shoulder, telling me he doesn’t see any point in holding back.
“What do you have for us?” I say, in lieu of confirmation.
“Something you’ll want.”
“Eric? Could you take Storm to the stream for a drink? I think Owen wants to go, too.”
Owen snorts and leans back on his log bench. “I’m good.”
“No,” Cherise says. “You stink, and unless you plan on sleeping alone tonight, you’ll wash up.”
He chuckles. “That punishment would last until about midnight, when you remembered why you keep me around.” He kisses her cheek but rises to follow Dalton out.
Once they’re gone, Cherise says, “If you think I’ll go easier on you with him gone, you’re mistaken, Casey. I don’t need to prove to Owen that I’m a tough negotiator. He doesn’t actually care, as long as he has a roof over his head, food in his belly, and me in his bed.”
She pauses and eyes me. “But it’s not him you’re worried about, is it? You don’t want to break too easily in front of your man.”
“Eric trusts me to negotiate. I just want them gone so we can drop the bullshit and do that. Without posturing.”
Her lips tighten at the unfamiliar word. Then a sniff as she figures it out in context. She doesn’t argue, though. She might not need to prove herself to Owen, but she’s still the alpha here, and this is more easily done without her pack as an audience. Also, perhaps more importantly, I don’t want Owen here as a witness to the admissions I’m about to make.
“Yes, we have a hostile problem,” I say. “It isn’t just the deaths. It’s the fact that one of their women left them, and they may know she’s in Rockton. I want to resolve this problem permanently.”
As I realize what I said, and how it can be interpreted, I expect her lips to curve in a smile. Which proves that I don’t know Cherise as well as I think I do.
Instead, she just eyes me, assessing.
“I don’t mean exterminate them,” I say, and when her gaze shows no comprehension, I amend it to, “Kill them all.”
“That would resolve the problem, though, would it not? My father has suggested it for years. My mother called him a fool. She said it was like killing all the grizzlies. Yes, we’d be safer if they were gone, but we’d also be safer if the wolves and the mountain lions were gone. Then perhaps we could also be rid of the winters. Oh, and the cliffs we can tumble off or the vines that can trip us. All are part of the forest. We have even done minor trade with the wild people. Not enough to wish them to remain, but there are too many of them to ‘exterminate,’ as you put it.”
“Agreed, and we wouldn’t do that.”
“Because they’re human?” Her lip curls slightly. “This is where you prove yourself unfit for our forest, Casey. You are tough and you are strong, but you are softhearted, and that makes you weak.”