Unconventionally Wolf by Julie Steimle (latest novels to read txt) 📖

their booth. He seemed almost eager to meet them.

"Hello, would you like to join our movement to re-green the earth one tree at a time?" a woman with a bright smile and deep brown eyes asked, greeting Tommy first. But then the eyes of her companions settled on Rick and they nudged her. Their eyes had fixed severely on Rick to the point that he felt like they were daggers stabbing him.

"Mr. Deacon," one of them said severely.

Rick nodded. "I heard you might be looking for me."

They then took in the others standing with Rick, their eyes flickering over Carl and the bodyguards rather quickly before resting on James with intense curiosity. It was like they could feel he was someone to take notice of.

"You changed shape," James murmured, his eyes blinking at them.

The group stared more fully at him.

Nudging Rick, James said, "They were just wandering about earlier, looking like tourists." He then looked to the group. "Did you take over this booth?"

The pseudo-Native Americans shook their heads. One said, "We found a spare table and created this booth."

"And no one noticed?" Carl murmured, looking entirely puzzled.

One of the attendants chuckled and said, "Mortals are mostly blind."

Carl stared more, a faint blush to his cheeks at what was clearly an insult toward him.

James leaned near Carl and whispered, "Fairy glamour. Elves can make you see things that aren't there. It is a trick of bending the light. Their seed packets might be the only real thing here."

The elves, because that was what they truly were, stared more at James. However, they said to Rick, "Mr. Deacon, we have a bone to pick with you."

"I hope it is not a real bone," Rick muttered, already worn out.

The elves chuckled. One of them, a man who outwardly looked like he could be a young version of Crazy Horse, said with a rich voice, "You, under human law, own a portion of land which, up until now, was kept in pristine condition as an animal reserve. Generally speaking, we don't care for humans laying claim to sections of wilderness even if that is all your kind does. And up until now we have turned a blind eye to your family's company building sporting structures such as ski resorts and camping lodges in parts of our wildernesses as it has also brought in your so-called rangers who guard the land. But this last move of yours is not acceptable. That pipeline, which you allowed onto our land—"

Rick raised his hands. "Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. First off, I did not allow anything. I am still in college and I am only here representing my father—"

"Who did allow the pipeline to be built on our land!" that elf protested. "And therefore you carry the same blame."

Groaning, Rick clutching his head. Elves and their logic. They didn't care if he didn't have any actual control on the decision to build that pipeline, or any ability to stop it. By nature, elves were vengeful, spiteful, and incredibly selfish, even when they were acting for the benefit of the world they were supposed to protect. They wanted someone else to blame when they had failed to protect their own divine charge. And to vent their frustrations, they wanted someone to torment.

From that thought, an idea occurred to Rick.

Lifting his head and looking at the elves, he said, "Actually, Dad and I don't really want the pipeline built there. But we don't have the power to stop it."

"You are the CEO!" one of them snapped. James watched them carefully, his hand on his hip where he would be carrying his sword normally.

Rick shook his finger at the elf. "Heir only. And even Dad can’t go against the board on this one. Besides, it wasn't his decision to begin with."

"But you own the company!" the elf snapped.

Shaking his head again at the elf, Rick said, "You don't know how human businesses work, do you?"

Tommy leaned near and hissed into Rick's ear. "I don't think it is safe to mock an elf."

Rick shook his finger at Tommy, yet said to the elves, "Being a CEO is not the same as being a king."

Though they had stood on the verge of vicious retribution a second ago, the elves' eyes widened on him and they withdrew a little.

One of them said, "What do you mean?"

Nodding, Rick explained, "In order to run a business, you have to deal with getting money to start the thing. That requires selling what is called a share in the business. Those shares are owned by people other than the CEO, or business owner, and those other people have a say in how the business is run. Those that own the other shares control part of the business, you see. And though my father has managed to keep control of most of the shares of Deacon Enterprises, sometimes the board of directors—which contain shareholders—gang up on him on certain issues—"

Those elves gave him such a dry stare that said they were not buying the bureaucracy of it.

"The point is," Rick said without even sweating, "we don't want the pipeline either, but we can’t do anything about it. But you can."

The elves stared more, then exchanged looks.

"What do you mean?" one of them asked.

With a mild, almost impish smile, Rick replied, "Elves are shape-shifters, aren't they? You can influence nature, can't you? Then why don't you just harass those pipeline builders yourselves?"

Shooting him dirty looks, the elves replied, "We have. But they would sooner shoot at us and the animals in the area than run away."

Carl stepped close. "They what?"

"Shoot their guns at whatever animals that come upon their project," the elf said in his bitterest voice.

"Oh…" Rick shook his head, pulling back. "That had better be a lie. That's not allowed. They are wildlife reserves for pity's sake. Not just any bit of land."

"Guns aren't allowed." Carl nodded stiffly.

One elf stepped close to Rick, his shoulders squared with menace. "Oh they most definitely are. So what are you going to do about it?"

Sighing, Rick lifted his chin so he gazed eye level with the elf. "It is what you need to do that matters."

"What I need—"

"Yes," Rick said, nodding. He looked to them all. "If they are shooting at the animals, I need you to get video footage."

"Video footage?" the elf protested, looking appalled that he had to lay his fingers on a video camera.

Turning to face him, Rick said, "This is the modern age. Even elves need to get photographic evidence when dealing with human thugs. And because you are shape-shifters, you can get in without being seen. Dad will need you to collect proof that those working on the pipeline are not respecting the wildlife, which I am sure would still be the rule while running a pipeline through that area."

The elf stared at him, confused.

Rick's face brightened, thinking on it. "That proof would be exactly what my father needs to put legal pressure on the board to end the deal with that company." Rick started grinning to himself over it. "As a violation of agreement is a prosecutable action."

Carl grinned at him, pleased.

But the elves looked confused.

James and Tommy shared a look. Then Tommy said to the elves, "It is a human thing. In the human world, you don't run around with swords and weapons dispatching your enemies. You get them where it really hurts."

The elves stared at him.

"Their pocketbook," Rick said, nodding. "Money."

That, the elves comprehended. They stared dryly at Rick. "Humans don't know the real value of things."

Rick nodded. "I agree. They don't."

James smirked with a look that said Rick wasn't someone who had to worry about money. And yet his eyes also said he understood what Rick really meant. What was most valuable to Rick was his family, his friends, and his life. The rest, including the Deacon fortune, was superfluous.

"Look," Rick said to the elves. "I can’t help you if you don't help me. The world of man is a lot more complicated than it used to be."

All the elves nodded on that. To them, that was obvious.

"Humans complicate the simplest things," one elf muttered.

Rick agreed. Human life complicated everything. No elf had to think about a career. No elf had to deal with public relations. He didn't know everything about elf society, but he did know elves were closer to animals in behavior than humans. They were wild, which made them in many cases volatile. Strangely, despite all the magic elves had, humans still felt more dangerous.

That was the thing, Rick thought as he watched these elves deliberate their course of action, despite all the fiction novels depicting elegant and superior elf civilizations, nearly all of those had collapsed ages ago—destroyed by brutish humans. These elves were stragglers who had remained on the surface, and some of the better nature. The elf civilizations which had survived had fled to subterranean realms which were accessible only through portals and fairy rings. Rick knew this secondhand from Tom Brown who had once gone into one after his first encounter with the Unseelie Court on All Hallows Eve years ago. And Tom had barely made it back to this realm in time.

"Alright," the one elf who had taken on Crazy Horse's appearance said. "For us to get this video evidence which you speak of, we need equipment. We, as you should already know, do not depend on lifeless technological artifacts for our existence. So you will supply the video cameras."

Rick nodded. "I'll do better than that." He then took out a pen and gestured for Carl to hand him some paper. Carl did so, taking one from his notebook, while also preparing to write up notes for himself. "I will forge a contract right here giving you permission to use our buildings for electricity so you can recharge anything, for free. And I think I can get Carl to issue you some passes. You can go on as environmental inspectors, making sure they 'stay above board'."

The elves nodded, getting into the idea now. They stood around Rick as he wrote up a simple permission form allowing their 'organization' to use their facilities and on their land. It annoyed the elves a little that Rick had to give them permission to land which had been under their charge for millennia—though Rick clarified it was only for show.

"Humans will believe a signed piece of paper more than the truth," Rick explained. "Especially if the person signing it has some sort of legal authority."

"Claiming land is foolish to begin with," one elf murmured when he received the document. "It will outlast you."

Chuckling, Rick nodded. "I know. But my father and I do it to keep us safe from hunters."

The elves nodded slowly at that, sharing looks.

"But the hunters you fear do not respect even your human laws," one elf said with a knowing look in his glassy dark eyes. "You are being hunted now."

"I know," Rick said, nodding. "But, if and when we do catch them breaking that law, we can put them out of the way for at least a short time."

The elves leaned back with incredulous chuckles.

"The natural law is better," one of the elves said. "More effective."

"More final, you mean." Rick eyed him sharply.

Their grins replied with a definitive yes. Natural law was not merciful. It made Rick think of that hunter, George Zeballos, who had followed him to Wolverton. The pack had enacted natural law on him. Kill or be killed.

He was killed.

"Well…" Rick said with a nod to them, "You use that document and it will get you access to things you need. Now if you could give Carl any information about where he can have the camera equipment delivered, along with someone to show you how to use it—"

"You want to provide them an instructor?" Carl asked, more like double-checking Rick rather than doubting though it sounded like he was questioning his sanity for a second.

Rick nodded. "Yes. They're elves. And I really doubt they have ever really embraced