Page 47 of Old Secrets

Therapy might help.

Eventually.

“How long do you think it’ll take before we get this show on the road?” I muttered, aware every Fenerec in the room could likely hear me. The Alpha Jake wanted for Amelia glanced at us, and he shot a wolfish grin our way along with a shrug.

After working with Aiko, I recognized the mannerisms as more American than Japanese, although they had their ways of communicating amusement.

It was just a little different.

“That felt rather American of him,” I informed my mate in the same whispered voice, aware he could hear us.

“He’s been to the United States a few times, and he’s a quick study. I’m fairly certain he speaks your language.”

Would the world survive through two people similar to me? Then again, if we could both get pointed in the right direction, our Greenwich problem would end in a spectacular and potentially explosive fashion. “Think they’ll give me access to explosives for this job?”

“Knowing what I know about you and explosives, I certainly hope not.”

I pouted at my mate. “But I want them to go out with a bang.” Jake shot a glare at me, and he issued one of his little snorts, which promised we’d both have a good time as soon as we got somewhere private. Pleased with my conquest, I added, “Ideally, they’ll never see me coming or going, and they won’t know what hit them.”

“That part of your plan I approve of and fully support.”

“Jake, what makes you think I have a plan?”

He heaved a patience-worn sigh, and I laughed at him.

Three hours after arriving, Aiko clapped her hands, the sound soft and gentle. Somehow, she managed to capture everyone’s attention without needing to say a word, and the various conversations halted.

I appreciated her display of power, and I wondered if anyone else caught on to how much control she held over those in the room. In my parents’ case, they respected her sufficiently to fall quiet and give her their attention.

After what my parents had been through, I doubted they would allow anyone else to hold power over them again, for better or worse. I would do my best to mitigate the damage that might cause, although I had no idea what I could do to help them.

My problems seemed so shallow and insignificant compared to theirs.

“Thank you.” Aiko performed a bow, neither deep nor shallow, but somewhere in between, leaving me to wonder what she conveyed. Only when everyone was in their proper place did she join us at the table. “It is time for us to make a plan. Everyone here has different and important data on Greenwich, and together, we will bring their reign of terror to an end. To best accomplish this goal, we must start at the very beginning.”

I turned my attention to my parents, and one by one, everyone else in the room clued in on what Aiko meant, ultimately following my lead. As Aiko remained silent, I asked, “Do you mean my family, Aiko-san?”

“I do mean your family—and everything that came before them. They ultimately lead to Greenwich and to you. While you and your mate are the lynchpins that will bring their cruel empire crashing down, this is truly their story, one many years in the making.”

No kidding; my parents had been alive during the time of the dinosaurs, although they had slept during their fall. One day, I might come to terms with their longevity—and with mine, assuming I survived.

My fox recoiled at even the thought of outliving Jake by millions of years.

Like me, she played for keeps, and she wanted to keep her wolf close for all eternity. Above even that, she wanted children to guard and care for, something we couldn’t have until the ruins of Greenwich burned around us, the bodies of every participant growing cold, never to bother anyone again.

My mother stared at my father, and he offered her a gentle smile. He gave a nod, stared at me for a long moment, and then shifted in his seat to give Aiko his full attention. “My love is ready to hunt, so I will handle the details she lacks patience for. My name is Rabten. I was born long before humanity rose, and we lived as foxes then. I favored the sea. My love came from the land. We became bound, a merging of both these forces, and we have wandered the world ever since. After the era of the dinosaurs came to an end and humanity rose, a group of young humans sought to become gods. They named themselves Yamāntaka. Our daughter has stripped them of their divinity and has named them Greenwich, after the child that began their downfall. Greenwich has sought to rule over other humans—and us—since the day they organized themselves. Their tradition has changed over the years, although their dark goals mostly remain the same.”

“Where did Greenwich originate?” the older of the Chinese delegates asked.

If I were asked to identify them in a crowd, I would only be able to state one of the men had some gray to his hair with a longer mustache than the other. Aware of my utter inability to distinguish Asian features beyond the very basics, I held judgment regarding their familial ties.

I would believe them to be brothers if told so, but I’d learned my eyes deceived me while abroad. I understood how to identify the key differences in Americans of all stripes and the various mixes that crossed my path in the FBI, but I hadn’t done sufficient learning about those from overseas.

I needed to change that.

I needed to change a lot of things.

Once again, my parents glanced at each other, and the burden fell to my father to answer the question. Sighing, he replied, “How familiar are you with ancient cultures?”