CHAPTER 3 THE MEETING

Minerva's Pov I strode into the building like I owned the place, Lucas following me like a bug, bearing my bag. A few heads turned in my direction, sending curt nods. I returned in the same manner, not sparing anyone a second glance. The knowledge that I was Mr.'s cherished daughter was a revelation. Baine was able to make a few enemies and friends alike. But what happens when you are the preferred one among your siblings? When will they choose you to replace your elder brother? I made my way diagonally across the lobby and headed towards the elevator. Lucas was close. As I watched the elevator door slide shut, I spoke. "My tablet, Lucas. I hope you've sent me the briefing." "I uh…" He trailed off, fumbling through the bag, and I let my finger turn, my claw sliding out as I watched him warily before he added. "Yes." He slid the tablet out of the bag and handed it to me. I took it from him, making sure he saw my turned finger covered in white fur and my claws visible. I saw him swallow, and then I watched it return to my human finger with a smirk. After pressing the power button, the device's backlight illuminated, and within minutes, I was browsing through my mail, searching for Lucas's briefing. The elevator doors slid open again, and I walked out without even looking, still scrolling through and searching for the mail. Lucas, you've been wrong before now. You better be right this time. I watched Lucas walk past me, stop in front of a door, push it open, and then locate the mail. Just a few inches before the door, I stopped and tapped on the opened mail. The writer was looking up to me expectantly. With a curt nod at him, I took my bag and walked into the meeting venue. People sat on either side of the long table, their suits radiating the authority they commanded in their respective jurisdictions. My dad sat at the end of the table, perusing the paperwork he was holding. Behind him was a large screen. A seat to his right was empty, which was obvious for me. I made a beeline for the seat, my gaze glued back to my tablet as I skimmed through the brief of the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was clear and concise. My father will host the next state summit, and we are here to deliberate on how to make it work and push our reasons to the floor. Getting to the chair, I slumped in, shooting my dad a small smile. He glanced at me briefly before going back to the paperwork. "I'm glad you showed up." "You left me with no choice, Dad." He chuckled a little, then turned to the expectant faces staring at him and continued. "Alright then, shall we begin?" One of the men, who complemented his suit with a red tie on an ice blue shirt, rose from his seat and gestured to the screen behind my dad. As we followed his gaze, my dad turned in his chair to get a better view of the screen. "The coming summit would have to take a slight tilt, considering that the monthly state summit has always been one that suggests ways to keep the packs hidden and ideas to keep humans oblivious." Wondering why he suddenly stopped talking, I quickly swept the room, and my dad followed my gaze. An older woman sitting near the edge of the table raised her hand. "Go on, Mrs. Stanbury." My dad urged her on. "I thought we were here to talk about the disappearances, Mr. Brown? We all understand that the summit will occur regardless of the outcome. "Except for the fact that it's going to take a slight turn." I came in. "The governor and the pack in Maple Dome already suspect us of being the reason behind the disappearances. Rather than wasting time trying to figure out what we need extra heads for, I think we should focus on how to make our defence." I glanced at my dad and noticed him struggling to stifle a smile." "You may continue." His voice came through, and we returned to the happy Brown standing beside the screen, holding a small black device. He pointed it at the screen as the display changed, showing different displays of human pictures. "These are the records of individuals who have gone missing since the start of this unfortunate event in Silverline." He continued switching one picture after another as he spoke. "While we understand that human relatives cannot join us at the summit, the least we can do is obtain their recorded testimonies of how their families went missing." At least that should convince the governor we're not lying." "I must say," said my dad now, "that you make a very compelling point." I gave the man a wary look. "So, how do you suggest we get these records?" I glanced at the screen to see a light-brown puppy on display, and then added, " You really should look at what you're doing." I gestured to the screen. He followed my gaze, then switched the image quickly, going back to the last human display, a young woman who was supposedly in her late thirties, adding. "I'm sorry. That was the image of my daughter." My eyes widened a little. "Your daughter? She is beautiful in her wolf form." "Thank you." He bowed a little, then cleared his throat. "Ahem, back to the matter at hand, I need the floor to make suggestions." "How about we think a little bigger?" a young man beside me said. As others did, I turned my attention to the dark, curly-haired man, who continued. "We could send media there. That way, we will have not only audio but also videos. The humans around us are brilliant, and we need to keep our identity hidden. That would help us make a compelling point." "Uh..." I began, lifting a hand. "Where will we host the next summit again?" "We're hosting it here in Silverline." Mr. Brown responded, and I turned to my dad as a realization dawned on me. The video of Dominic came back to mind. That young man would like another opportunity to flaunt his authority as the governor's son around me after the backstab he had the guts to do to me, despite all we shared before I travelled. "Can we allow more miniature packs to host the summit?" That would encourage us to expect these packs to rise and grow. "While you make a good point, these packs must meet certain standards to host the State Summit." I gave my dad a blank stare.