“How old are Katie and Rachelle? Girls, I’m sorry but we need to expand the pack.”
The room fell very silent as all seven women paused, the quiet of the night adding even more weight to the statement Lisa had made.
Sharon spoke first, "Lisa, Katie's fourteen, why would you even..."
"No," Brenda harshly cut Sharon off. "I don't know what you are thinking, Lisa, but I am not forcing our choice on my daughter simply because yours never had one."
Lisa's eyes burned to golden as she approached Brenda. Her words came out soft and menacing, "You will never speak to me like that in our pack." Her nostrils flared as she stood at a breaths distance in front of Brenda. "What you have received is a gift, and your part in the survival of this family includes your children, whether you like it or not."
Debra started to move towards the stand off, but Solange gently held her back at the shoulder. Solange slowly shook her head as Debra quickly looked over her shoulder. Anaya, Sharon, and Ebony discretely moved backwards, unconsciously shielding themselves with the conference room chairs.
Brenda made an effort to stand her ground as her golden eyes shifted to match Lisa's gaze. She could not hold back a slight growl in her voice, "We do not know our family is in danger. You may be frightened for your and your lovers," she pointed a growing black pointed nail at Debra, "girl's safety, but I bet dollars to doughnuts that the FBI knows that my daughter is not part of this pack, and her humanity," she growled the word at Lisa, "will keep her safe. We," she waved her claw at the other women, "can hunt down whoever is responsible for this without forcing our lives on our unprepared daughters."
Lisa spoke as her eye teeth extended, "You will do what I think is best for this pack."
Brenda huffed out her words as the points of her ears began to stick through her hair, "You thought it was best to seduce a FBI agent, an outsider, into our sisterhood! You brought this on us by trying to increase the pack in the first place. I will do what you tell me to protect this pack, the one we have now, your daughter included, but you will have to take me down before I let you impulsively involve Rachelle in this problem."
Lisa's ear nestled through her hair as her bared teeth began to reflex with saliva. Debra spoke softly, "Lisa, Brenda, please."
Both women jerked their heads, responding in unison towards Debra, "Shut up!"
The two women stared at each other, both beginning to pant with adrenaline as early morning light began to break through the conference shades. Lisa looked directly at each woman in the room before her the points of her ears and teeth began to retract, "Very well, for now, we will not involve any daughter other than Heather and Dita in pack affairs." She narrowed her still golden eyes menacingly at Brenda, "This is the first and last time any of you will openly challenge me about any of my suggestions or decisions. If this happens again," she paused, "I promise I will show you what being brought down means."